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FIJI – Transporters of sugar cane to the Fiji Sugar Corporation’s (FSC) Labasa mill are reportedly frustrated with what they say are becoming weekly breakdowns.
According to the Fiji Times, truck drivers have complained that disruption to the mill’s cane crushing process is taking a significant toll on farmers, adding to their woes as a result of the prolonged dry season.
Surendra Lal, president of the country’s National Farmers Union, told the news provider that the mill operation was “shocking” because it seemed to operate for just two days at a time before experiencing a malfunction.
“The mill broke down on Monday midnight and the officers are unsure when the crushing will start. It is questionable how the crushing takes place for two days and the mill breaks down the following day,” he said.
Last month, the Fiji Times reported that only 20 per cent of the nation’s harvested sugar cane had been processed, with local producers claiming that the mills should have crushed at least double that amount.
TheCropSite News Desk