Sugar Minister Charan Jeath Singh says his Ministry is committed to supporting farmers in optimizing their operations.

The Minister says that his ministry is implementing initiatives to assist farmers with mechanical harvesters and cane cutters.

“We are mindful that the machines are getting old and the parts are very expensive; however, our ministry is coming up with some submissions for the next budget so that we can assist the farmers.”

Singh acknowledges the aging machines on the cane farms; however, he also stresses the importance of proper usage and upkeep of their machines.

Sugar Minister Charan Jeath Singh

While responding to a question in parliament this morning, Singh also explained why they are bringing in workers from Bangladesh to work in cane fields.

Singh says that his ministry has recognized the lack of skilled workers in the sugarcane sector, and they are continuously trying to innovate so that they address these challenges effectively, especially during the harvesting seasons.

The Ministry also has a Memorandum of Agreement with the Fiji Correction Service under the Yellow Ribbon Project to engage the inmates to harvest sugarcane in the hilly terrain where mechanical harvests are not able to penetrate through.

This year, the Ministry of Sugar plans to engage 120 inmates to alleviate some of the burdens imposed on cane farmers in steep terrain.