Ba sugarcane farmer Arvind Singh is urging the Government to construct a modern sugar mill for Viti Levu to address the frequent breakdowns of the mills in Lautoka and Ba.
The repeated failures of Ba’s Rarawai mill have led to more than 100 lorry drivers being parked outside the facility since last week.
“As a farmer, I’m very concerned about the sugar mill, and this is not a new problem, but an ongoing issue for many years,” Mr. Singh said.
“When the crushing season starts, the mill breaks down. I think the time has come for the Government and the minister to look into it very seriously and build a new mill. That is the only solution.
“A new modern mill would resolve this problem permanently.
“Because this mill is very old, we do patching every year. This mill cannot survive.”
Mr. Singh said money was being wasted trying to repair the aging mill.
“As far as patching and repairing the mill, we are just wasting millions of dollars. It is better to just build a modern mill.
“I think we only need one modern mill in Viti Levu, and the other mills should be closed down.
“There is more sugarcane in Ba, Tavua, and Rakiraki, and if you come to Sigatoka, Nadi, and Lautoka, the amount of sugarcane is decreasing every year.
“All stakeholders need to work together to allow the sugar industry to thrive.
“That is the only solution where farmers can survive, and lorry drivers won’t have to wait for two to three nights outside the mill.”
Questions sent to Fiji Sugar Corporation CEO Bhan Pratap Singh remain unanswered.