Farmers at Vunivau in Labasa were all smiles today after receiving a sugar cane harvester worth of $310,000.
While handing over the harvester to Qawa Cane Farmers Cooperative, Attorney General and Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum says that farmers will be able to harvest sugar cane on time and they will not have to go through the hassle of looking for laborers.
He says that the young generation do not want to get involved with sugar cane farming and because of this there is a shortage of laborers in the Northern Division.
The Attorney General also stresses that people talk about giving farmers hundred dollars per tonne but they do not talk about reducing the production cost.
He adds that government is doing its best to help farmers to live a better, burden free life.
Sayed Kahiyum says government is working with Fiji Sugar Corporation to reduce the cost to $17.50 per tonne.
He stresses that some private harvesters charge more than $20 for each tonne.
Meanwhile, the government gave ninety thousand dollars while the cooperative collected $220,00 to buy the harvester.
