Raj Sharma, CEO of the Sugarcane Growers Fund, has expressed approval for the increased budget allocation provided by the government. The government has allocated $200,000 towards the Cane Growers Council elections and an additional $800,000 for the council’s operations. Vimal Dutt, CEO of the Sugarcane Growers Council, also expressed contentment with the allocated budget.
The government has previously paid a record sugarcane price of $91.28 per ton to farmers and anticipates a price increase to around $102 per ton for the 2023 season, according to Finance Minister Biman Prasad. The latest budget allocation has also provided an increased funding of $76.1 million to the Ministry of Sugar Industry and Multi-Ethnic Affairs.
Of this, $66 million is set aside for farm development including increasing cane production, fertilizer and weedicide subsidies, cane cartage subsidies, cane access road upgrades, lease premium assistance, drainage, farm mechanization, manual harvesting subsidies, and working capital to support the Fiji Sugar Corporation in repaying its EXIM Bank of India loan.
Furthermore, the Sugar Research Institute of Fiji has been allocated $1.1 million, and the Sugar Tribunal has been granted $400,000. An additional budget of $5.9 million includes $2.3 million earmarked to promote language, culture, arts, and small community projects. The government has also allocated $1.2 million for building gas crematoriums in Labasa, Navua, Lautoka, and Ba.