The Sugar Industry Tribunal has confirmed a government-backed third cane payment of $10.91 per tonne, with funds due to be disbursed to Fiji’s sugarcane growers on April 20, 2026. Tribunal registrar Timothy Brown said the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) would contribute $0.84 per tonne while the Government would top up the remainder with $10.07 to finalise the payment.
Brown told growers that the net share of sugarcane proceeds received by farmers as at February 28, 2026, stood at $71,340,930 — equivalent to $57.97 per tonne of cane. He said FSC had advised it would pay $0.84 per tonne as the third cane payment, and following discussions between Government and industry stakeholders the state had agreed to add $10.07, bringing the third payment to $10.91. Government officials have advised the process to secure the additional funding will be completed by April 20.
The announcement drew mixed reactions from farmers across major cane-growing areas such as Ba. Many welcomed the cash injection after a week of uncertainty. Ba grower Arvind Singh said the payment was “good news” for those who had been waiting for income and thanked the Government for responding to farmers’ concerns, while urging FSC to explain why its direct contribution was limited to 84 cents per tonne.
“This is something,” Singh said. “We had been left with so many questions and were in the dark about our money.” Lorry driver and grower Atish Kumar described any sum above $10 as “a welcome relief,” noting growers need funds to continue preparing and harvesting cane and to avoid crippling interruptions in operations.
But some growers remained sceptical. Moto sector farmer Arun Sharma questioned the timing and intent of the top-up, suggesting the Government’s intervention risked being seen as politically motivated in the lead-up to the last year of its term. Sharma said growers who had delayed harvesting bore extra costs keeping labourers on, and demanded “genuine responses” from FSC, the Sugar Cane Growers Council and Government to prevent recurring annual shortfalls.
The tribunal’s confirmation follows months of volatility in the industry, where mill disruptions and market pressures have prompted ad hoc relief measures in the past. Last year, for example, the Government provided compensation after the Rarawai mill fire — a move farmers said helped salvage that season’s incomes but did not eliminate long-term concerns about viability and debt.
With the payout date set, growers and industry bodies will be watching for timely disbursement and for clearer explanations from FSC on its low per-tonne contribution. The Tribunal’s confirmation is the latest development in an ongoing season in which many growers have flagged rising input and labour costs, outstanding debts and the need for more predictable revenue flows to sustain operations.
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