For Lovu sector sugarcane grower Nand Kishore, the delayed third cane payment of $10.90 is not the relief many had hoped for — it is a reminder that farming in Fiji’s Western Division is teetering on the edge.
Managing a 13‑acre block and with 16 years in the industry, Kishore told reporters the small payout is inadequate given consecutive blows to his livelihood. Termite infestations have progressively hollowed out his yields, he said, and Tropical Cyclone Vaianu later flattened much of what remained. “Too little,” he said of the payment, describing it against the scale of losses across the region. “Recovery is no longer seasonal — it is daily survival.”
Kishore said his farm once produced more than 400 tonnes of cane annually but that output has fallen significantly in recent seasons despite regular inspections by the Sugar Research Institute of Fiji. Faced with dwindling cane income, he has pivoted to growing vegetables and selling them at local markets and through social media, offering free delivery to communities such as Qalitu, Paipai and Vitogo for orders above $10. Even that income stream, he added, was hit hard when Vaianu passed through and damaged his vegetable plots.
Beyond his own experience, Kishore criticised the timeliness and clarity of weather warnings ahead of the cyclone, arguing that better information could have helped farmers brace assets and protect crops. While his home survived the storm, his fields did not, leaving him and other growers in urgent need of cash to replant and to contend with mounting household bills.
Kishore is calling on the Fiji Sugar Corporation to reconsider the level and speed of cane payments, saying many families across the Western Division have lost everything and cannot afford prolonged delays. His appeal has been echoed by Opposition MP Alvick Maharaj, who has urged the government to expedite the third payment for Western Division growers. Maharaj described the situation as one of urgent need rather than administrative delay, pointing to fields still underwater and homes damaged after the cyclone.
The farmer’s plea arrives amid an ongoing series of sector shocks and piecemeal relief measures. Earlier government initiatives provided targeted assistance to some growers affected by pre‑season burnt cane and a compensation scheme was introduced for cane redirected after a fire at the Rarawai Mill. Meanwhile, farmer groups warned of large volumes of unharvested standover cane left in fields at the end of the 2025 crushing season, a disruption that industry representatives estimated at tens of thousands of tonnes and which has fuelled calls for clearer compensation frameworks.
Kishore’s account underscores how individual growers are coping on the ground: diversifying into vegetables, relying on small local sales and pleading for quicker, more substantial support. With pests, mill disruptions and extreme weather converging, farmers and industry advocates say timely, adequate payments will be critical to prevent permanent loss of cane acreage and to stabilise rural livelihoods across the Western Division.
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