Thirty Extension Officers from within the sugar industry are attending two-week training in Lautoka as part of the strategic action plan to bring the sugar industry back on track.

The workshop is jointly organized by the Fairtrade Coordination Unit and is funded by the European Union through the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, and FSC.

Andrew Winter-Taylor, Team Leader of the European Union’s Accompanying Measures for the Sugar Protocol Program – Coordination Unit, has reminded the participants of their key role in the rejuvenation of the multi-million dollar industry.

“This is one element I mean there is harvesting and transport there is the milling there is the production all this sort of things, so it’s one element of the whole process of improving and rejuvenating the sugar industry and as I have said earlier it is a very important one.”

Taylor says, Extension Officers form the cohesive link between the three key stakeholders in the sugar industry, namely the producers, the miller and research.

Participants will be briefed on topics from agricultural extension service basics to cane quality, inter-cropping and pest and disease management.

A similar workshop is planned for Vanua Levu based extension officers as well.