Only 5% of cane farmers are under 40, Minister reveals

Only five per cent of Fiji’s sugarcane farmers are under the age of 40 , a trend the Government says threatens the long-term future of the industry.

Minister for Sugar Charan Jeath Singh told Parliament the farming population was ageing rapidly and youth participation remained “far too low,” echoing concerns raised in the national agricultural policy.

“This poses a direct risk to our long-term food security, rural development and national resilience,” he said. 

“Our latest assessment shows that seven per cent of growers are over 70 years, 12 per cent are between the ages of 60 and 70, 14 per cent are between 50 and 60, and 62 per cent are aged 40 to 50. Only five per cent of cane farmers are below 40.”

He said the figures speak for themselves, warning that without intervention the sugar sector’s sustainability was at risk.

“The crucial question is: how do we bring our next generation back into farming? Long-term sustainability depends on attracting young, energetic and innovative farmers who can modernise the sector,” he said.

The Minister said young people were often deterred by the highly labour-intensive nature of cane farming, but Government-backed mechanisation programmes were helping to change that.

“To address this, we have advanced a suite of mechanisation initiatives through the Fiji Sugar Corporation to replace manual labour with technology-driven solutions,” he said. 

“We’ve expanded access to the tractor service provider model and introduced mechanical planters, harvesters and precision farm tools across the industry.”

He said these innovations were making farming faster, more efficient and significantly less physically demanding, a key factor in attracting younger farmers who naturally gravitate towards technology-based work.