Riya Mala 
Fiji Sugar Corporation Chair Nitya Reddy. [Photo: FILE]
Fiji Sugar Corporation Chair Nitya Reddy says the industry will not make any progress by just apportioning blame.
He was responding to concerns raised by Rakiraki farmers during the Special Committee on the Sugar Industry meeting, as many of them laid the blame on FSC for the dire situation of farmers and the failure of the industry.
Reddy says the FSC used to produce over five million tonnes of cane, and it is now a pale shadow of what it was.
“Those people who have been trying to say that FSC alone has got to be demonised are being very, very dishonest, unfortunately. I accept the fact that last year was about the most disastrous season in the 140-year history of FSC. And if you really care to analyse, it had to do a lot with the fact that we had this unfortunate incident right away on the 17th of September last year (Rarawai Mill fire).”
Reddy says this led to a lot of consequential difficulties, including 100,000 tons of standing cane in the area.
Reddy adds that the government has allocated a $96 million grant, and $80 million of that goes directly to the industry.
He further explains that when that is divided by 1.5 million tons of cane, it adds another $53 on top of the $57 base price, arriving at a price of $110 per ton.
“We can’t be talking in a vacuum. We have got to address all these issues and consider them in the context of the Master Award. FSC has an undignified history, making a loss of $600 million over the last 20 years, and I accept that fact.”
The Special Committee members are listening to the grievances of the farmers, and they have assured them that the $85 per tonne price is a minimum, which will be looked at after the consultations.
