Mechanisation vital to cane farming viability: Tui Labasa

With manual labour shortages and high demand for wages and housing requirements, farm mechanisation has become the ideal option to remain financially viable in sugarcane farming.

Tui Labasa, Ratu Jone Qomate, made this remake when approached on the 2026 crushing season.

Ratu Jone said a reasonable number of farmers had invested thousands to purchase new farm machinery such as tractors, lorries, sugarcane planter, sugarcane harvester etc to boost their production.

The chief owns a sugarcane farm at Nagigi in Labasa and harvested close to 3000 tonnes of cane last season with the help of machinery.

“Farm mechanisation is vital to harvesting and production because we can’t rely on physical labourers who are hard to find nowadays,” he said.

Ratu Jone said for young and upcoming farmers, they must explore the idea of farm machinisation if they want to thrive in this industry.

Young farmer and farm mechanisation supporter, Munish Naicker, was awarded the best innovative farmer for the Northern Division during the Prime Minister’s sugarcane farmer’s mill awards in Labasa this year.

Mr Naicker has invested thousands to purchase farm machinery to improve his production capabilities on his farm at Buceisau sector in Labasa.

He expressed happiness and pride in his work where he engaged in farm mechanisation and modern farming techniques to improve cane yield.

“Every farming activity is mechanised from ploughing, planting, applying fertiliser to spraying weedicide to control pests were mechanised,” he said.

Mr Naicker believes in self-sufficiency and with his high knowledge in farm mechanisation, he handled sugarcane farming comfortably despite labour shortage or limitation.

“I don’t rely on manual labour, I have imported machinery from overseas such as sugarcane planter, sprayer and fertiliser applicator,” Mr Naicker said.

He recently purchased a farm tractor from New Zealand to further enhance his farming venture.

Despite spending a fortune on farm machinery, he described it an investment rather than an expense.

He left Naleba College located in Labasa in 2017 and joined the sugarcane industry and since then has become an inspiration for other youths.

“I take sugarcane farming as a passion and a business which I try to profit from,” he said.

Mr Naicker supplied 1030 tonnes of cane to the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) Labasa mill on his single farm and revealed plans to invest in a second farm to increase supply.

“I am purchased a second farm of 13 acres which I plan to cultivate sugarcane to boost supply”.

Feedback: sampras.anand@fijisun.com.fj