Fiji : Stop burning cane
Sugarcane farmers lose between $3 and $5 per tonne when sending burnt cane to mills, according to Vimal Dutt, CEO of the Sugar Cane Growers Council. Increasing cane burning, often for easier harvesting, causes significant financial losses due to reduced sugar content and higher milling costs. Dutt urges growers to harvest green cane to prevent these losses and improve industry profitability.
Sugarcane farmers lose an average of between $3 and $5 per tonne when they send burnt cane to the mill for crushing, says Sugar Cane Growers Council CEO Vimal Dutt.
Mr Dutt said the council was deeply concerned at the increasing trend of cane burning this season, which, over the years, has resulted in the loss of millions of dollars to the industry.
“In some cases, they’re burnt by accident, however, burning is mostly deliberate, perhaps for easier harvesting or jumping the harvesting queue,” Mr Dutt said.
“Every year the industry burns millions of dollars that should be going into your pockets, the growers and cutters.
“As burning grows, more cane is burnt, more money is lost. In principle, we can say a real loss of at least on average $3-$5 per tonne.”
Mr Dutt said whatever the reason, burning does not help anyone.
“It hurts our industry very badly. Stop cane burning now because it reduces growers’ income through burnt cane penalties.”
Mr Dutt said burning causes income loss because it destroys some of the sugar in the cane and causes it to lose sugar much faster than green cane.
“Because we do not produce enough good quality cane, we lose millions of additional dollars each year as the sugar content goes down. This is on top of the large losses from burnt cane. It is another blow to the growers in lost income.”
Mr Dutt said burnt cane makes poor sugar and creates serious problems at the mills.
“This higher milling cost is another big loss to the industry – another loss to the growers.
“It extends the length of the crushing season due to slower crushing.”
Mr Dutt reiterated that cane growers must harvest green cane.
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Source Link : https://www.fijitimes.com.fj/stop-burning-cane/
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