The National Farmers Union (NFU) is calling for necessary compensation for sugar cane farmers who are left with unmilled standover cane following the seasonal shutdown of the Rarawai Mill on January 12, 2026. NFU General Secretary Mahendra Chaudhry has been proactive in addressing concerns surrounding the dire harvesting conditions that have severely impacted farmers this season, having previously written to the Minister for Sugar and the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) in December about the pressing need to complete the crush at Rarawai and to compensate affected growers.
Chaudhry has proposed a compensation rate of $35 per tonne for the unmilled cane, emphasizing that the hardships endured by farmers are largely outside of their control. The year 2025 proved particularly challenging due to milling failures and operational inefficiencies that resulted in significant financial losses for the growers. Compounding these issues was the Rarawai Mill’s three-month shutdown due to a fire incident in mid-September, which took place during a time of optimal harvesting conditions.
The NFU’s concerns extend to the decision to close the Lautoka Mill on December 5, just prior to Rarawai’s reopening. This closure put extra strain on farmers in Viti Levu, forcing them to transport their cane to the Ba Mill under less-than-ideal wet season conditions amid looming labor shortages as the festive season approached. The Rarawai Mill struggled to manage the influx of cane upon its reopening, leading the FSC to limit deliveries to a quota of 50 trucks at a time.
Chaudhry expressed discontent with the overall operational efficiency across all mills during the 2025 season, attributing much of the turmoil to systemic flaws within the FSC. He stated, “Farmers cannot continue to bear the burden of FSC’s failures.”
He also recalled the assurances made by the then Finance Minister Biman Prasad after the fire at Rarawai, where it was declared that every stick of cane would be milled, creating expectations that have not been met. As it stands, growers are left with an estimated 85,000 tonnes of standover cane, and Chaudhry insists that both the government and the FSC have a responsibility to compensate these farmers accordingly.
As the agricultural sector grapples with these challenges, the pleas from the NFU serve as a reminder of the critical support that sugar cane farmers need to sustain their livelihoods during periods of hardship.