Wati First Woman Farmer To Benefit From Discounted Loan Application Fee

Bisma Wati is the first woman sugarcane farm­er to benefit from the Sugarcane Growers Fund’s new 50 per cent discounted loan appli­cation fee initiative.

The Anuve farmer in Labasa received her loan ap­proval letter on Monday.

And it was the first to be discounted under this new initiative.

The Fund’s Labasa / Seaqaqa branch loans officer, Arvind Avikesh Chandra, said the initiative was to meet and promote sustainable development goals on gender equality.

He said the initiative would enable women farmers to apply for any type of loan at a reasonable fee of $75 per application from the previous charge of $150.

“We want to create a level playing field because women also play an important role in our sugar in­dustry,” he said.

Ms Wati, 62, manages her 25 acres farm with her son, Sanej Kumar.

She said such an assistance would encourage other women farmers to opt for loan schemes.

Ms Wati lodged a loan application to purchase a new cane truck to ease cane transportation costs to the Labasa Sugar Mill.

She said her farm produces 450-500 tonnes of sugar­cane each year and every trip to the mill costs $9.00.

Ms Wati’s son, Sanei Kumar, hoped to pay off their existing loan and engage in more loan opportunities with the fund in the future.

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