Praneeta Prakash 
[Photo: FILE]
The Fiji Sugar Corporation says reaching a production target of two million tonnes of cane by 2028 will depend heavily on increased government support and a strategic shift towards more productive growers.
Fiji Sugar Corporation Head of Agriculture Lakshman Jayaraman outlined two scenarios for achieving the target contained in the FSC and Sugar Cane Growers Council Annual Report.
He says under the preferred scenario, the industry will require millions of dollars annually in grants to support new planting and the rehabilitation of ageing ratoon crops.
Jayaraman says more than 60 percent of ratoon crops are over 10 years old, significantly reducing productivity and sugar quality.
“We have envisaged two scenarios of increasing this production. One is, if you are able to have a sustainable grant, because farmers don’t plant cane without any financial assistance. They don’t have the financial ability to do it. One scenario, what you envisaged is with a grant of around 10 to 11 million, provided for planting, and also for restoring the old ratoon .”
He says says FSC plans to gradually replace around 2,500 hectares of old ratoons each year.
“So within another five years, at least to the extent of 12,500 to 15,000 hectares will be replaced by young crops. So that will give us better productivity, and that will also give us better production.”
FSC also intends to focus more support on growers who consistently maintain or increase production, rather than distributing grants on a first-come, first-served basis.
