The National Farmers Union (NFU) has urged for essential compensation for sugar cane farmers left with unmilled standover cane after the Rarawai Mill’s seasonal shutdown on January 12, 2026. NFU General Secretary Mahendra Chaudhry has been vocal about the serious harvesting challenges faced by farmers this season and had previously communicated with the Minister for Sugar and the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) in December, highlighting the urgent need to complete the crushing process at Rarawai and to provide support for affected growers.
Chaudhry proposed a compensation rate of $35 per tonne for the unmilled cane, stressing that the difficulties farmers encountered were largely beyond their control. The 2025 season was particularly trying, marred by milling failures and operational inefficiencies that inflicted considerable financial harm on growers. A fire incident in mid-September resulted in a three-month shutdown of the Rarawai Mill, coinciding with the best harvesting conditions of the year.
The NFU is also worried about the recent closure of the Lautoka Mill on December 5, which occurred just before Rarawai’s reopening, adding extra burdens on farmers in Viti Levu who were forced to transport their cane to the Ba Mill under challenging wet season conditions amid impending labor shortages due to the festive period. After Rarawai Mill reopened, it struggled to handle the cane deliveries, leading the FSC to limit truck deliveries to a maximum of 50 at a time.
Chaudhry expressed frustration regarding the operational efficiency across all mills during the 2025 season, linking much of the chaos to systemic issues within the FSC. He remarked, “Farmers cannot continue to bear the burden of FSC’s failures.”
He also mentioned broken promises made by the former Finance Minister Biman Prasad after the fire, where assurances were made that all cane would be milled, leaving expectations unfulfilled. Currently, growers face an estimated 85,000 tonnes of standover cane, and Chaudhry insists that both the government and the FSC have an obligation to provide compensation for these farmers.
As the agricultural sector confronts these significant hurdles, the NFU’s appeals underscore the vital assistance that sugar cane farmers require to maintain their livelihoods during challenging times, stressing the need for systemic improvements to prevent future disruptions. This situation not only highlights the resilience of the farming community but also the importance of collaborative efforts among stakeholders to secure a sustainable future for the sugar cane industry.