Lautoka Cane Producers Association chairman Bala Dass has formally urged the government to delay the start of the 2026 cane-crushing season, saying growers are unprepared to shoulder rising costs after another increase in fuel prices. Dass warned that the current forecast price and harvest arrangements leave farmers with minimal margins and that key issues remain unresolved by the Ministry of Sugar and the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC).
The 2026 forecast price for cane has been set at $57.40 per tonne. Dass said that with harvest and delivery costs running at about $45 per tonne, growers are left with roughly $12.40 before other inputs and farm overheads are considered. He added that mechanical harvesting is being paid at $21.74 — a rate he described as unsustainable — and argued many contractors and farmers would not be able to operate profitably at that level once higher fuel bills and other preparation costs are factored in.
“We recently got the 2026 forecast price of $57.40 and if you calculate the amount left over from the $45 cost of harvest and delivery, farmers will have very little in their pocket,” Dass said. He urged the government to postpone crushing until harvest, delivery and contractor rates are reviewed and adjusted to reflect the higher cost environment. Dass also said growers are frustrated by what they describe as a lack of response from the Ministry of Sugar, while the FSC appears set to proceed with the announced crushing date.
The appeal comes against the backdrop of ongoing concerns across the Western Division. Earlier this year the National Farmers Union, led by Mahendra Chaudhry, pressed the FSC and government for clarity and compensation over unharvested standover cane after the 2025 season, estimating tens of thousands of tonnes remained uncollected and pushing for compensation rates around $35 per tonne. Dass’s request to delay the new season highlights how unresolved financial and operational issues experienced last year could spill into the upcoming campaign.
Finance Minister Esrom Immanuel confirmed in Parliament last week that the government would provide a top-up for the yet-to-be-released fourth cane payment, a move aimed at easing immediate cashflow pressures for growers. Dass welcomed any short-term relief but said a one-off top-up would not substitute for a comprehensive review of harvesting and delivery rates, and of preparation costs now inflated by fuel price hikes.
FSC has not publicly agreed to a postponement, and there has been no formal response from the Ministry of Sugar to Dass’s public call. Without agreement on revised rates, Dass warned, mechanical harvesters and contractors may be unwilling to operate under current terms, potentially disrupting the crushing schedule and risking further standover cane across mills such as Rarawai and others in the Western Division.
Growers are awaiting clarifications on whether the government will entertain a delay or move to renegotiate harvest and delivery payments. Dass said any announcement of a crushing date should have followed resolution of these cost and contract issues, and reiterated his plea for immediate engagement between farmer groups, FSC and the Ministry to avert a repeat of last season’s hardships.