𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐤𝐚 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧: 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲

The Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs and Sugar Industry, Hon. Charan Jeath Singh, today officially officiated the opening of the 2025 sugarcane crushing season at the Lautoka Sugar Mill.

Minister Singh reaffirmed the Coalition Government’s steadfast support for farmers and the revitalization of Fiji’s sugar industry.

He praised Lautoka Mill’s pivotal role, calling it the industrial heart of sugar production in the West, and a proud symbol of Fiji’s economic resilience, agricultural heritage, and community strength.

“This year, I am pleased to note that we will give 1.5 million tons of cane. Which is an increase of 200,000 tons. If this is the trend that we continue, then in the next 5 years we can increase our cane production by 1 million tons. From 1.3 million tons, we can go to 2.3 million tons,” said the Hon. Minister

Minister Singh also highlighted government-led support programs aimed at reducing production costs and boosting productivity, including:

• 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 – rewarding increased cane production

•𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐲– $3 per tonne for manually harvested cane

•𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 – support to reduce farm flooding

• 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬

“These efforts are part of a wider strategy to reduce the cost of production, improve farm productivity, and make sugarcane farming a more attractive and sustainable livelihood, he said.

“Government has done – and will continue to do – its part. But we call on you, our growers, to increase your individual cane production. Because the more sugarcane you grow, the more we can provide in support,” said Minister Singh.

Minister Singh concluded with a call for collective effort and transformation in the sugar industry that must remain a pillar of Fiji’s economy – but it will take all of us, working together, to make that happen.

In 2024, Lautoka Mill processed 368,260 tonnes of cane, producing 31,403 tonnes of sugar and 18,403 tonnes of molasses. The Minister noted the mill’s additional role as the Fiji Sugar Corporation’s central logistics and procurement hub, serving both domestic and international markets.