Medical insurance was one of the main topics discussed by sugarcane farmers during the consultations in Ba and Lautoka yesterday.

Sugar Cane Growers Fund CEO Raj Sharma says the majority of cane farmers have been requesting medical cover, especially from their family.

Sharma says they’ve made a proposition for farmers to pay $200 for medical cover per year to which the majority of cane growers have agreed to.

“A farmer would be able to get a medical treatment from any General Practitioner for unlimited number of times to a total of 4 members in a family which means husband, wife, and children below the age of 18 years and if they are university students up to 23 years old they can get that premium at $200 so this sort of things the farmers were requesting and we are able to hold this out for this year.”

Meanwhile, other concerns such as cane cutting issues, mill problems, cane harvesting seasons and shortage of labor were raised in the consultation.

Present during the meeting with the farmers was the FSC Chief Executive Graham Clarke, Minister for Lands Ashneel Shudakar and Assistant Minister for Sugar George Vegnathan.