Politics led to the collapse of the Fiji Sugar Corporation, according to line minister Charan Jeath Singh.
Speaking at the Bucaisau sector, Mr. Singh emphasized that sugarcane farmers were not at fault for its downfall.
“Fiji once had about 4.2 million tonnes of cane, but it has declined over the years,” Mr. Singh noted.
He pointed out that internal politics within the sugarcane sector has adversely affected its performance in recent years.
“Whenever farmers put in their hard work, the leaders would go on strike,” he said.
“This negatively impacted the cane tonnage.”
Mr. Singh mentioned that a former minister of sugar also shared the blame for not promoting the renewal of farmers’ leases.
“When the land leases began to expire, instead of encouraging farmers to negotiate with landowners for renewals, they were dissuaded,” he said.
Mr. Singh argued that this situation had long-term impacts on the future of the sugarcane sector.
“If you own a farm, you will at least have some form of income,” he said.
“This is why we encourage farmers to renew their leases.”
He also mentioned that the current efforts to rejuvenate the industry have been challenging, but the commitment to restore it remains strong.