Acting Prime Minister and National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad has defended the coalition government’s handling of the sugar sector, saying it delivered the highest cane price in Fiji’s history last year and that ongoing support means payments have effectively exceeded $100 per tonne in 2025.
Prasad told farmers they should not be swayed by critics as he outlined recent measures he said underpin the industry’s recovery. He credited government top-ups, linked to Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) forecasts, for pushing payments above the $100 mark this year, and highlighted a package of assistance that includes fertiliser and weedicide subsidies, cane planting programmes, funding for farmer premiums and an intensive lease-renewal drive. “About 80 percent of cane leases have been renewed over the past three years,” Prasad said, and he noted an additional $36 million has been allocated to boost cane payments.
The former deputy prime minister directly challenged opponents he said were responsible for earlier damage to the sector, pointing to policy shifts after 2006 that coincided with the loss of European Union restructuring support and what he described as the weakening of the Sugar Cane Growers Council. Those changes, Prasad argued, contributed to a long period of decline from which the current government is attempting to recover.
His remarks come as farmers have been reacting to an FSC price forecast that suggested lower returns this season. Charan Jeath Singh, the Minister for Multi‑Ethnic Affairs and Sugar Industry, moved to reassure growers, saying the corporation’s forecast is based on world market conditions and remains subject to government adjustment. Singh said the government aims to ensure a minimum guaranteed payout of around $85 per tonne when final payments are calculated, while acknowledging that rising fuel and production costs are squeezing margins for farmers.
Singh repeated that additional support measures remain an option, signalling the government could top up payouts further if international prices and domestic costs create shortfalls. The minister has led recent visits and relief efforts after disruptions to processing — including the 2025 Rarawai mill fire that required cane to be redirected to Lautoka and prompted ad hoc compensation — and he has overseen targeted assistance for growers hit by pre-crush burns and other shocks in Sigatoka, Rakiraki, Ba, Labasa and Seaqaqa.
Industry stakeholders say clarity on final payouts is critical for planning ahead of planting and harvesting cycles. Past government interventions — from per-tonne top-ups to targeted relief for burnt cane and mill-disruption compensation — have provided short-term relief but have not fully insulated farmers from global sugar price volatility and rising input costs. The government’s recent $36 million boost and the reported high lease-renewal rate are being presented by Prasad as evidence of a longer-term stabilisation strategy.
Both Prasad and Singh urged farmers not to panic and to ignore speculation, reiterating that government support will continue. The latest claims leave a gap between the headline figure Prasad used — payments exceeding $100 per tonne in 2025 when government top-ups are included — and Singh’s statement of an $85-per-tonne minimum guaranteed final payout, a difference that will be resolved when the FSC finalises its season accounts and any further top-ups are confirmed.