Praneeta Prakash 
Sugar Industry Minister Tomasi Tunabuna, Sugarcane Tribunal, government officials and industry stakeholders will meet today to determine the way forward on delayed payments to sugarcane farmers.
Minister Tomasi Tunabuna told FBC News that he will meet with the tribunal and key representatives from the sugar sector this afternoon, as pressure mounts from farmers awaiting payment for last year’s harvest.
He says the outcome of the meeting is expected to pave the way for an official announcement on how and when payments will be made.
“After we have the meeting this afternoon, we should be hearing from the tribunal announcement on how we are progressing with the payment of sugar. We’ve had quite some big challenges last year, and those have been part of what we are trying to address in this payment.”
Tunabuna acknowledged the challenges, saying the government is working to balance industry constraints with the need to support farmers.
“Even though the market price for sugar was really low last year, we are trying the best we can to facilitate our assistance to our sugarcane farmers. We will have an announcement as soon as we confirm how we are going to progress into the payment of the payment for sugar for last year.”
Farmers have increasingly voiced frustration over the lack of clear communication, with many facing financial strain as they wait for payment.
