Director of Planning, Policy, and Research at the Ministry of Sugar Reshmi Kumari has highlighted the need for global cooperation to tackle shared challenges like climate change, labor shortages, and high production costs.

Kumari presented Fiji’s perspective on climate change and sugarcane production at the 3rd International Conference and Exhibition in Pune, India.

She highlighted Fiji’s declining cane yield and production due to climate-related events, including flooding, saltwater intrusion, soil erosion, and drought.

She adds that this has contributed to a 20–30 percent loss of cane production in Fiji over the years.

Kumari highlighted Fiji’s need for advanced research and technology adoption to bolster our sugar industry.

She further expressed optimism about leveraging shared technologies from other nations, emphasizing the potential for maximizing profits by increasing yield and reducing per-unit costs.