Sugarcane farmer Tevita Waqavakatoga. [Photo: PECELI NAVITICOKO]

Expired land leases and idle agricultural land have emerged as key concerns during the Parliamentary Special Committee on the Sugar Industry consultations, with farmers warning that productive cane land is being left unused while the industry continues to struggle.

Speaking during the committee’s consultation in Seaqaqa, cane farmer Tevita Waqavakatoga urged landowners and the Government to work together on practical solutions that would allow experienced farmers to continue cultivating leased land instead of leaving it idle after lease expiry.

He says many tenant farmers have built their lives around sugarcane farming, with generations of families relying on the industry for their livelihood. He said uncertainty surrounding lease renewals forces many farmers to leave their land despite decades of investment in their farms.

“The farmers, they’re probably thinking five, 10 or 30 years down the line. Most of them are born here, bred here and will die here. As iTaukei, we try to push them away. What I’m saying, sir, if there’s something that the Government can do to help these farmers stay, they can continue with sugarcane.”

Waqavakatoga also claimed that land returned to landowners after lease expiry often remains vacant and undeveloped, reducing cane production at a time when the industry is already facing declining output.

According to Waqavakatoga, strengthening cooperation between landowners and tenant farmers would not only keep productive land in cultivation but also encourage more families to remain in the industry.

Prime Minister and Committee Chair Sitiveni Rabuka acknowledged the concerns, saying the consultation process is intended to address longstanding issues affecting the sugar sector, including the relationship between landowners and tenant farmers.

Rabuka said the committee is examining every aspect of the industry to determine how Fiji can move forward after nearly 150 years of shared history between landowners and cane farmers.

The Parliamentary Special Committee on the Sugar Industry will continue its nationwide consultations before compiling recommendations aimed at strengthening the sector while balancing the interests of both landowners and tenant farmers.