The Fiji Sugar Corporation is urging cane farmers to take the Cane Development Program seriously.

Eleven million dollars has been set aside in the new budget for the program.

Executive chair Abdul Khan says the majority of newly planted cane was damaged by TC Winston.

Khan says new crops were also affected, due to the prolonged dry weather during last year’s planting.

He says farmers need to start re-planting so that new cane is ready for the next crushing season.

The FSC target is to crush around four million tonnes of cane in years to come.