Fiji : Push for sugar realignment
Agriculture Ministry operations director Praneel Naidu has called for a major overhaul of the decades-old Master Award governing the sugar industry, saying piecemeal amendments are no longer sufficient. The proposed reforms will focus on restructuring the five-part cane payment system to better reward sugarcane growers.
Ministry of Agriculture operations director Praneel Naidu has called for a major realignment of the decades-old Master Award to better serve the nation’s changing sugar industry, warning that past piecemeal tweaks are no longer sufficient.
Speaking on the need for systemic reform, Mr Naidu said the existing document was simply failing to operate as efficiently as required.
“It’s a fairly old document, there have been some reviews and some amendments over time,” he said.
Mr Naidu said previous efforts to modernise the framework relied heavily on minor adjustments, with the expectation that the industry would adapt and grow.
“If you look at the way the industry is moving, we need some major realignment, readjustment.
“How that realignment, readjustment is going to work, that’s a different matter.”
A central focus of the proposed overhaul is the current cane payment system, an issue repeatedly raised by both the Sugar Cane Growers Council chief executive officer, Vimal Dutt, and the tribunal. Under the present structure, growers receive five separate payments.
Nr Naidu highlighted the payment cycle as a critical area for reform to ensure farmers are properly incentivised.
“So that’s one area we look at to entice farmers where they give the crop and they get rewarded for producing it.
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Source : The Fiji Times
