Compensate farmers, Chaudhry tells govt

Sugar cane farmers should be compensated for standover cane, former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry said. 

Responding to Fiji Sugar Corporation’s “successful” season production in Labasa, Mr Chaudhry said shot down reports that the season was extended for growers benefit. 

“Farmers should be compensated for standover cane, slow crushing rate and unfavourable weather of the season,” Mr Chaudhry said. 

He also questioned the volume of standover cane. SunBiz queries to FSC were unanswered when this edition went to print. 

Fiji Sugar Corporation said the season was extended from 19 weeks to 24.8 weeks for maximum cane intake and support the wider grower community. 

Labasa reported eight thousand extra tonnes from its previous season,. 

FSC chief executive officer, Bhan Singh, said the Labasa mill concluded its final crushing season seven weeks after the initial closing date of October 21, 2025. 

“However, in the best interests of growers and to ensure they had every opportunity to harvest and deliver their cane, FSC approved several extensions totalling almost seven additional weeks,” Mr Singh said. 

DATA FOR THE SEASON 

During the 2025 season, the Labasa Mill crushed 583,612 tonnes of cane, an improvement on the 575,068 tonnes crushed in 2024. 

The rail-to-lorry delivery ratio stood at seven per cent rail cane and 93 per cent lorry cane, with road transport continuing to play a key role in maintaining steady supply to the mill. 

Burnt cane for the season totalled 45 per cent, remaining broadly consistent with the 44 per cent recorded last year. 

The season was affected at times by prolonged wet weather, which caused harvesting disruptions. 

As a result, the mill recorded 1067.3 hours (44.5 days) of outside stops, primarily driven by weather-related supply delays. 

UNAVAILABILITY OF LABOURERS 

“Despite these challenges, FSC ensured the mill remained operational whenever cane supply allowed, extending the season to give growers the fullest possible opportunity to harvest their crop,” Mr Singh said. 

“The later-than-usual closure— compared with 11 November in both 2023 (23.5 weeks) and 2024 (21.6 weeks)—reflects FSC’s proactive approach in supporting growers by allowing ample time to harvest and deliver the cane. 

“While cane supply in the season was impacted by rainy weather at times and also other issues such as unavailability of labourers, FSC remained focused on sustaining operations and concluding the season smoothly.”