𝟐𝟐 𝐒𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬

The Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs and Sugar Industry, Hon. Charan Jeath Singh, today handed over the Pre-Season Burnt Cane Rehabilitation Grant to 22 sugarcane farmers in the Western Division, marking the first time such compensation has been offered by the government to farmers affected by pre-season cane fires.

While handing over the grant to the Farmers, Minister Singh acknowledged the challenges faced by the farmers whose fields were destroyed before the start of the crushing season.

He emphasized that in previous years, there was no government mechanism in place to assist farmers who lost cane due to pre-season burning. The introduction of this grant is a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at easing the burden on affected farmers and helping them recover.

“Many farms were burnt before the crushing began. It takes months of hard work and investment for our farmers to grow sugarcane, and these losses are devastating,” the Minister said.

“This is the first time we have made arrangements to compensate farmers whose cane was burnt before harvesting. It shows our government’s firm commitment to supporting the sugar industry,” Minister Singh added.

The Minister reaffirmed the government’s dedication to long-term sustainability, highlighting Ministry’s broader vision for growth to increase sugar production by 200,000 tonnes annually over the next five years.

One of the recipients, Mr. Mohomand Mistar of Balata, Tavua, who lost 7.5 acres of cane in a fire before the start of the crushing season, expressed heartfelt thanks to the government.

“This kind of support shows that the government is fully committed to the industry. It gives us confidence and encourages us to continue farming,” He said.