Cane growers are the key to future growth of Sugar Industry.

This was stated by Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) chief operating officer, Navin Chandra.

Mr Chandra with FSC chief executive officer Graham Clark has been visiting stakeholders and cane growers in Sigatoka to brief them on the new FSC direction and sought the farmers’ views which would contribute to the development of the new FSC five-year strategic plan.

They visited settlements of Nadrala and Nawamaqi, in the interior of the Sigatoka Valley; and Lomawai, on the outskirts of Natadola.

Mr Chandra said that FSC had embarked on a new direction and one of its key objectives was to enhance grower engagement.

“On this most recent visit, growers in Nadrala, Nawamaqi and Lomawai got to hear first-hand on the recent FSC developments and the organization’s immediate to mid-term plans.

“Growers were advised that that some items in the new FSC Strategic Plan have already been realised; like the changing of the Government Subsidy to assist grower costs of farming.”

Mr Chandra said FSC was going back to the growers to get their perspective and give them an avenue to assess how FSC was tracking and seek their insights on any other areas of additional focus.

“One of the key objectives at these meetings was for growers to highlight additional issues they could still be facing particularly, barriers that hinder cane development,” he said.

“FSC recognises that growers are the key to future growth of the industry and FSC will continue to engage these important stakeholders, and find solutions that in the long-term are mutually beneficial to the sugar cane growing community and FSC,” Mr Chandra said.