Business

Labasa Mill begins crushing 

June 16, 2021 4:45 pm

Cane crushing at the Labasa Sugar Mill has commenced. 

FBC News understands, the Sugar Tribunal initially set the crushing to begin on July 27th and this was later changed to July 7th.

However, the Fiji Sugar Corporation today held the official opening ceremony for the crushing season at the Labasa Sugar Mill.

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Chief Guest Commissioner Northern Division, Uraia Rainima says the sugar industry recently went through a difficult time with the two recently cyclones and flooding.

However, he says Fiji Sugar Corporation has managed to pull through and start the crushing season, the first of the three mills to do so.

Rainima noted that this has not gone down well with some.

“Unfortunately, while many are working hard to get the mill going many of our own local people are trying to stop it and they do so for their own personal reasons. This is a sickness that I believe we must try to wipe out from our society. “

Rainima has urged sugar stakeholders to come together and support the industry which is the backbone for the economy in the Northern Division.

Meanwhile, several farmers FBC News spoke to today say they are not ready for the crushing season as they were hit pretty bad by the recent cyclones and flooding.

Speaking on the basis of anonymity, the farmers are also not happy with the $54.36 forecast price per tonne of cane for the 2021 season.

The farmers argue that they stand to lose a lot with the low forecast price.

 The sugar forecast for last year was $64.17 per tonne.