Minister for Sugar Charan Jeath Singh says Fiji does not necessarily have to sell sugar overseas and has revealed plans to build a sugar refinery in Labasa.

He was speaking during his visit to Fiji Sugar Corporation staff at the Labasa Office.

Singh says with the price of sugar Fiji sells to the market being pretty low, the country can still increase its cane production, produce the sugar and add value to it here.

He says they will be working further on initial plans to build a sugar refinery.

“There was a study done here sometime back that there was supposed to be a refinery set up in Labasa Mill. And if that is possible to support our increase in sugar production I am pretty sure I can get hold of the government’s cabinet to support me to set up a refinery here.”

Singh says they want to increase cane production and a target of 1.8 m tonnes for this year and two million tonnes has been set for next year.

He adds, if there is an excess of sugar cane, Fiji can also look at ethanol production.