Lautoka Sugar Mill faces critical cane supply shortage
The organisations warned that maintaining a continuous and reliable supply of cane was critical to ensuring uninterrupted crushing operations for the benefit of growers and the industry.
Thursday 23 July 2026 | 11:00
The Lautoka Sugar Mill is facing a critical cane shortage, prompting the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC), the Sugar Cane Growers Council (SCGC) and the Sugar Industry Tribunal (SIT) to jointly appeal to growers and industry stakeholders to urgently increase deliveries over the next 10 days.
In a joint statement, the three organisations said the mill, which requires about 5,000 to 5,500 tonnes of cane a day for normal crushing, was receiving deliveries well below the level needed to sustain continuous operations.
The statement said 12,800 tonnes of cane had been received at the mill since the start of the season, but unfavourable weather conditions had continued to affect harvesting and cane deliveries.
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The organisations warned that maintaining a continuous and reliable supply of cane was critical to ensuring uninterrupted crushing operations for the benefit of growers and the industry.
FSC, SCGC and SIT have called on all cane growers, harvesting gangs, mechanical harvester operators, harvesting contractors, rail and lorry transport operators, and other stakeholders involved in harvesting and transporting cane to immediately harvest and deliver cane to the Lautoka Sugar Mill.
The joint statement said every effort should be made to maximise cane deliveries over the coming days to support continuous mill operations.
The parties agreed that the cane supply situation would be closely monitored over the next 10 days.
During that period, all stakeholders are being urged to work together to maximise cane supply and ensure the mill receives enough cane for processing.
At the end of the 10-day monitoring period, the Sugar Industry Tribunal will assess the prevailing cane supply situation and determine the appropriate course of action regarding the future operations of the Lautoka Sugar Mill.
The organisations said the next 10 days would be critical.
They urged growers and industry stakeholders to respond to the appeal by increasing cane deliveries immediately, saying a sustained improvement in supply during the monitoring period would enable the tribunal to make an informed decision on the future operations of the Lautoka mill.
