FIJI: 2009 sugar production down 19.4% but cane only down 3%
Published: 03/05/2010, 10:26:30 AM
Fiji's sugar production fell by 19.4% and cane production dropped by 3.3% over the 2009 period compared to 2008, according to FijiVillage.
This has been revealed in the Reserve Bank of Fiji Economic Review for February which states that a total of 2.2 million metric tonnes of cane were crushed to produce 167,664 tonnes of sugar in 2009.
The Review stated that the significant fall in sugar output is due to low cane supply to the mills as well as problems faced by the upgraded mills in the earlier months of the season.
The total cane-to-sugar ratio for the 2009 season was 13:4 compared to the ratio of 11:2 for 2008.
Prime Minister, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama had stated to farmers and landowners in the Western division last month that the government wants cane production to increase by 100,000 tonnes to boost sugar production and the economy as a whole.