The Lautoka sugar mill is currently the least efficient factory for the Fiji Sugar Corporation in the 2024 season, recording a tonnes cane to tonnes sugar (TCTS) ratio of 13.0. This means that the Lautoka mill required 13 tonnes of cane to produce just one tonne of sugar.
In comparison, the Labasa Mill has a TCTS of 10.1, while the Rarawai Mill has a ratio of 11.2. Bhan Singh, the CEO of Fiji Sugar Corporation, highlighted that the corporation has experienced significant challenges this season, primarily due to unfavorable weather conditions, particularly the ongoing drought linked to the El Niño phenomenon.
Singh noted that cane quality has not significantly improved from previous seasons. He pointed out that the incidence of burnt cane at the Viti Levu mills has reached record levels, with more than 50 percent of the cane supply being burnt in the early stages of the crushing season. Additionally, the amount of trash present in the cane has also been unusually high.
There were some operational failures at the Rarawai and Lautoka mills earlier in the season, but Singh confirmed that maintenance teams have addressed these issues, and operations have since returned to normal. Contrary to Lautoka, the Labasa Mill has had a notably successful season, experiencing minimal operational failures, with most interruptions arising from inadequate cane supply.