Ritika Pratap 
Sugar Minister Charan Jeath Singh
Sugar Minister Charan Jeath Singh is warning farmers not to abuse the current fertilizer subsidy provided by the government.
Currently, sugarcane farmers are only required to pay $20 for a bag of fertilizer, with the government covering the rest of the cost.
However, Singh has become aware of farmers exploiting this subsidy by purchasing more fertilizer bags than necessary for their farms and subsequently selling them at a higher price to non-sugarcane farmers.
The standard price for a bag of fertilizer is $75.
“If a farmer requires only 20 bags of fertilizer, what he does, he orders 50 bags, because he is getting it for $20 anyway. So then what he does he used 20 bags on his farm and 30 bags he sells it off at $50 to farmers in Taveuni and Tailevu side.”
Singh has already informed South Pacific Fertilizers Limited and the Fiji Sugar Corporation about this issue.
He cautions that farmers caught continuing to abuse the subsidy will face penalties.
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