Rice More Profitable Than Sugarcane
Rice farming is proving more profitable than sugarcane, Cambridge Farms Fiji has said. It followed two experiments the company held in Nadi and Lautoka. Based at Sabeto in Nadi, the company produces onions and potatoes, as it now ventures into rice farming.
Thursday 07 April 2022 | 21:00
Shakuntala Devi and operations manager Arvin Singh (seated on the harvester), with Davendra Singh at their rice farm in Sabeto in Nadi. Photo: Mereleki Nai
Rice farming is proving more profitable than sugarcane, Cambridge Farms Fiji has said.
It followed two experiments the company held in Nadi and Lautoka.
Based at Sabeto in Nadi, the company produces onions and potatoes, as it now ventures into rice farming.
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After years of sugarcane farming business, it is slowly converting its sugarcane fields into rice farms in the Nadi and Lautoka area.
Operations manager, Arvin Singh, said the rice farms were enabled with assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture.
The rice farms were developed in March 2020, in Barara.
Mr Singh said the impact of COVID-19 pandemic changed their commercial focus.
Crop Rotation
Rice farming addresses the issue of crop rotation in sugarcane fields, Mr Singh said.
"With COVID-19, our focus changed on account of less reliance on third party miller," he said.
"We have no control over processing of raw materials, delays at mills, and slow payment for our sugarcane, which has made this business nonprofitable.
"Fiji Rice guarantees us a fixed payment, depending on grain quality."
"Payment is done within seven days of delivery."
"Quick payment terms help us to reinvest the money in the farm."
Weather conditions
Weather conditions in the West are favourable for a profitable turnaround for rice farming, Mr Singh.
"It takes two years to experiment with varieties that work best for the Nadi and Lautoka areas," he said.
"We are confident that we have gained sufficient knowledge to be able to carry out large scale rice farming in the West."
"With current weather conditions, we believe we can produce two to three crop varieties a year. "
"When carried out properly, rice farming is more profitable than sugar cane, in our case."
Long Haul
In the long haul, Cambridge Farms Fiji aims to process their own rice harvest, which they will retail through their Nadi store.
The company also retails New Zealand-imported onions and potatoes, Mr Singh said.
"Cambridge Farms has modern farm machinery, including a state-of-the-art Shaktiman paddy harvester, capable of harvesting two tonnes of paddy per hour," he said.
The company's Nadi store is the shortest link from farm to consumer, Mr Singh said.
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