Good news for cane farmers and lorry drivers as the Fiji Sugar Corporation has announced a financial relief scheme.

Following a review of the impact on cane growers and lorry operators of recent breakdowns at the Lautoka Mill, FSC Chief Executive Graham Clarke says they will present a financial relief scheme to affected cane growers and lorry operators.

Clarke says in respect of any notification of an unplanned mill breakdown, expected to be longer than six hours, an immediate formal assessment will be carried out jointly by FSC staff and affected cane growers.

He says this will determine the volume of affected cane, the impact in each sector, the cane yard of the mill concerned, and loaded cane lorries.

Based on this assessment, which will be fully documented and agreed by all parties, a mill breakdown penalty will be paid by FSC through the cane payment system, as and when necessary, using the fortnightly delivery payment to growers to make payment.

Clarke says this will be at a total sum of $5 per tonne of affected cane, as established by the assessment.

The event that assistance is paid via this mechanism, should be $3 per tonne of affected cane to the cane grower and $2 per tonne of affected cane to the Lorry operator concerned.

This excludes and will not apply to mill stoppages caused by lack of cane supply or scheduled factory maintenance.

The FSC believes this will provide some relief for additional costs incurred by growers and lorry operators during their waiting time.