Praneeta Prakash 
[File Photo]
Permanent Secretary for Sugar Industry Dr. Vinesh Kumar says improving native land governance is essential for strengthening Fiji’s sugar industry and expanding agricultural production.
Speaking at the 2025 Attorney-General’s Conference, Dr. Kumar says delays in land approvals and outdated processes continue to hold back farming investment, especially in cane farming and commercial agriculture.
Dr Kumar says lease security, faster processing, and clearer land-use rules are needed to help farmers plan long-term and attract new growers into the sector.
“The land tenure system has now become, what we say, a macroeconomic challenge. And again, if you look at the land itself, and look at the amount of products we are actually importing, I think it’s equally important for us to look really and seriously look into how we look at the sector itself.”
According to Dr. Kumar improving land administration will also support other key agricultural areas.
“So, if you look at sugarcane itself, between 1997 and 2023, a total of 9,936 agricultural leases had expired. Of these, 66% were renewed, 17.7% were issued to new tenants, and 12.5% reserved for landowners. Now, ladies and gentlemen, looking ahead, and when we say ahead, in the months to come or the years to come, from 2023 to 2030, there will be another 1,374 land leases.”
Dr. Kumar stresses that reform is not about weakening protection of native land, but about making the system work better for landowners, farmers, and national development.
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