The Fiji Sugar Corporation is already feeling the effects of the prolonged dry spell with the sugar industry now likely to process less than its target of 2 million tonnes of sugarcane this year.

FSC Executive Chairman Abdul Khan says if the dry spell continues it could have a more significant impact on crushing next season.

Khan says although there have been brief showers over the last two days they need consistent rainfall to help crops recover.

“Because when you look at it if you don’t get the rain now especially the ratoon cane as it is coming through. If you don’t get the rain now then those ratoon cane are actually stumped so you don’t get the volume or the tonnage that we are actually forecasting for next season. So under a normal year we could see 2.2 or 2.3 million tonnes we may not get to that level.”

FSC has produced close to 180,000 tonnes of raw sugar so far this season after processing over 1.4 million tonnes of sugarcane.