| Farmers sell machinery, stock |
| writer : CAROLINE RATUCADRA |
| 3/26/2011 |
Desperate for cash, a group of sugarcane farmers in the Northern Division have started selling farm machinery and livestock including fertiliser from their farms.
The farm gate sales include bulk fertiliser, surplus farm machinery and spare parts and even working bullocks and cattle.
According to these farmers, they have no choice but to look for cash in order to provide for their already-poor families.
National Farmers Union president Surendra Lal said the farmers were looking at alternative measures because they are desperate for cash.
Confirmed reported cases involved farmers from the sectors of Daku, Wainikoro, Waiqele and Buceisau.
“We cannot do much as farmers have suffered a major loss in the last two cane payments. They’re desperate to provide for their families and they will do anything.”
“This is the truth where farmers have had to start, selling from their farms livestock, machinery and fertiliser,” Mr Lal said.
He said working bullocks were up for sale to around $2000 and other farming equipment price ranges according to its durability.
Fiji Cane Growers Association chief executive Mohammed Rafiq shared similar sentiments saying that times are hard now especially with the increased cost of living.
Mr Rafiq said his office had received reports of farmers selling their farming tools because they needed money.
“Livestock are up forsale apart from machinery and this is the reality.
“Farmers have to earn their living and they will have to sell whatever they’ve got to provide for their families,” Mr Rafiq said.
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With the cane farmers selling out, it would be a wast of money to upgrade or maintain the sugar mills. It looks as though sugar is dead, and it’s because of mismanagement.
Perhaps the cane farmers can use the money from selling their equipment to migrate. On the other hand, they may not be able to get much for their equipment considering that there is little or no money to be made by cane farming.
What a pity. That is what you get for backing the wrong horse. No whinging, you were warned. Bye Bye EU funding and all other support.
If you are unhappy send a rext to the illegal PM and useless sugar minister….oh you can’t – he is in HK enjoying the rugby…oh well, save some money to pay your lease though?
Stated before that the sugar industry is a dying trade. No use flogging a dead horse, all the coups in Fiji are taking its toll- no one really had any interest in the industry as it was so politicised and now militarised under the force-line dumb Minister for Everything.