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Chairman’s Address

Prime Minister’s Sugar Cane Farmers’ Mill Award- Ba

Acknowledgements

I acknowledge the past, present, and emerging custodians of this land and express my gratitude for their stewardship and hospitality.

I also wish to acknowledge: – Koronubu na Momo na Tui Ba –

  1. The Chief Guest for this Morning – Minister for Agriculture, Waterways, & Sugar Industry – Hon Tomasi Tunabuna 
  2. Cabinet Ministers
  3. Permanent Secretaries
  4. Government officials and sugar industry stakeholders
  5. Respected sugarcane farmers
  6. Organizing Committee Chairman and Members
  7. Valued sponsors, media representatives, ladies and gentlemen

Bula Vinaka and Namaste.

Introductory Remarks

First of all, I am honored to stand before you today on behalf of the Sugar Cane Growers Fund (SCGF), the principal host institution for this historic event.

I am also deeply honoured to have been appointed Chairman, and I sincerely thank the Ministry for the confidence placed in me. Despite the challenges and hurdles faced by SCGF and the wider sugar industry, we continue to see many opportunities ahead.

I must acknowledge the contributions of former Minister Hon. Charan Jeath Singh, Permanent Secretary Dr. Kumar, and former Chairman of the Sugar Cane Growers Fund, Mr. Bhamji, all of whom played an important role in reviving these awards.

The launch of this initiative by the Prime Minister, and the naming of these recognitions as the Prime Minister’s Awards, further demonstrates the Government’s strong commitment and support for the sugar industry.

These awards have been under consideration since around 2018, and we at SCGF are proud to have taken the initiative to revive them after many years.

Today, we celebrate a prestigious recognition programme that honours the hard work, resilience, dedication, and invaluable contributions of our sugarcane farmers at Mill Level.

This is the first award program for Ba today, tomorrow – 14th for Lautoka Mill and then 18th is Labasa Mill. 

At this juncture, let’s not forget the contributions of the grimitays towards the sugar industry for which we have the public holiday on 15th May to recognize the contribution and likewise, contributions of late Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna establishing the iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB) in balancing customary ownership with the needs of the sugar industry, fostering multiracial collaboration and allowing Indo-Fijian farmers to farm.  For that we have public holiday end of this month – 30th May 2026. Important dates in our calendar! 

I extend my sincere gratitude to the Minister, Hon. Tunabuna, Permanent Secretary Dr. Tukana, and all our valued sponsors. Without your support, these awards would not have been possible.

I also wish to acknowledge the hardworking organizing committee, comprising all sugar industry stakeholders, led by the Sugar Cane Growers Fund together with our panel of evaluators.

We all recognise that the sugar industry is currently facing significant challenges — including land lease issues, limited resources, high production costs, declining yields, and the impact of global conflicts and fuel crises.

At the same time, we must embrace the importance of food security. While the Government has announced various strategic plans for the sugar industry, I will leave it to the Honourable Minister to elaborate further on those initiatives.

About SCGF and Its Commitment to the Industry

The Sugar Cane Growers Fund has always remained at the forefront of the industry as a trust fund and statutory authority, playing a prudent and important role in supporting our growers.

We remain committed to good governance and continue to operate within the ambit of the legal framework.

This year, we have introduced several important changes to our financial products and services for the benefit of growers:

Key Financial Support Initiatives

  • Reduction of interest rates from 6% to 4.5% in 2025, and now further reduced to 3.95% in 2026.
  • Mortgage Protection Cover for loans up to $50,000, with premiums fully paid by SCGF through TISA Insurance.
  • Affordable General Fire Insurance coverage through Sun Insurance at premiums of only $140 or $170.
  • Discounted or zero application fees on few categories – specially for youths and women, supporting Sustainable Development Goal Programs.   

Honorable Minister, these initiatives represent approximately $2 million in direct investment,  diversification of our balance sheet into real estate assets, all within the ambit of the Act — ultimately giving back to the growers, who are the direct and indirect co-founders of the Fund.

In response to the current high transportation costs, SCGF has also activated a Fuel Crisis Assistance Plan and effective from 18 May 2026:

  1. Existing growers may simply contact our officers directly via mobile phone to request a loan.
  2. Applications will be processed promptly.
  3. Once approved, growers will only need to sign the offer documents, and funds will be released on the same day through the M-PAiSA e-wallet platform.

Grower Statistics and Institutional Transformation

At present, SCGF serves 4,032 growers from a base of over 10,000 growers industry-wide:

  • 927 growers from Lautoka Mill
  • 1,827 growers from Rarawai Mill
  • 1,278 growers from Labasa Mill

As of April 2026, total grower loans stand at $36.4 million:

  • Lautoka: $8.2 million
  • Rarawai: $14.23 million
  • Labasa: $13.98 million

We continue to pursue the transformation of the institution, including the proposed review of the SCGF Act, which is currently before the Ministry. This review aims to strengthen governance, accountability, sustainability, and expansion opportunities within Fiji’s financial ecosystem.

Upcoming SCGF Initiatives

SCGF has several major projects scheduled for delivery this year:

  • A Special Savings and Insurance Scheme [5SI] for growers, to be launched later this month.
  • A Special Revolving Loan Facility on the mobile network — the first of its kind in Fiji — expected to roll out in September 2026. Both initiatives are funded by the United Nations Capital Development Fund.
  • An Online Document Management System and AI-powered chatbot, expected by September 2026 and funded by the Asian Development Bank.
  • Exploration of medical and crop insurance coverage options for growers is in progress 
  • Greater use of artificial intelligence to improve service delivery and operational efficiency.

Closing Remarks

SCGF will continue to play its part in supporting and strengthening the sugar industry. At the same time, we urge all stakeholders — particularly our farmers — to continue increasing production, embracing innovation, and harvesting green cane.

If some of our farmers who are being recognized and awarded today for excellence, then others too can aspire to achieve the same success.

Finally, I once again thank the Ministry for giving SCGF the opportunity to initiate and lead these awards.

I also extend my appreciation to our sponsors, the organizing committee, stakeholders, and everyone present here today.

Vinaka Vakalevu.