$1.8 million The amount paid out by the Sugar Growers Fund on behalf of the farmers in the last three years

Roop Lata whose husband died during Tropical Cyclone Yasa, has received $2000 under the Sugar Cane Growers Fund’s microinsurance scheme.

The assistance is a FijiCare Insurance Limited’s insurance product.

Ms Lata and her late husband Ramesh Chand, shared a 40-acre sugarcane farm, and also looked after a 10-acre sugarcane farm in Lovelove, Labasa.

Ms Lata said that she was happy to receive the assistance as they continue to mourn for her husband.

She said they usually produce 40-50 tonnes of cane from the 10 acre sugarcane farm but were only able to produce 30 tonnes of cane last year.

Her challenge this year is to produce sugarcane without her husband.

Sugar Cane Growers Fund chief executive officer Raj Sharma thanked FijiCare Insurance for helping out the family.

“The Sugar Growers Fund has paid out $1.8m on behalf of the farmers in the last three years,”Mr Sharma said.

“The last six months was taken care of by the Government and I thank the Minister for Sugar and Minister for Economy and the team for the payment of $300, 000.

“From January 2021, the farmers are required to pay and the growers council will make an announcement on that soon,” he said.

Source: Fiji Sun