New sugar mill planned for Western Division to cut prices

The Government is pushing ahead with plans to build a state-of-the-art sugar mill, aiming to modernise the industry and bring down the high cost of brown sugar.

Minister for Sugar Charan Jeath Singh said the proposed mill, to be built in Rakiraki, is part of a broader effort to address inefficiencies in ageing sugar mills and low production capacity that have driven prices up to between $2 and $4 per kilogram.

“Our sugar mills are very old and inefficient,” Mr Singh said.

He said that the new facility would help increase extraction rates, improve production efficiency, and reduce overall costs for consumers.

The Government has already called for tenders for the project and received nearly 30 expressions of interest from potential investors.

Mr Singh said a recent proposal from a Chinese company could offer a comprehensive solution for the mill.

He was scheduled to meet the delegation last Thursday in Lautoka.

Alongside the Rakiraki project, the ministry is working to restore the Fiji Sugar Corporation Rarawai Mill and upgrade existing infrastructure.

According to Mr Singh, improvements in technology and investment in new infrastructure would help reduce overall production costs.  

Mr Singh said improving technology and modernising machinery across the sector is key to ensuring fair sugar prices and revitalising Fiji’s long-standing sugar industry.