Olosara farmers' case awaits Tribunal ruling

[posted 10 July 2009,1500]

The case of farmers in the Olosara sector of Sigatoka regarding rail transport is awaiting a ruling from the Sugar Industry Tribunal.

Meanwhile, Sigatoka Branch secretary of the National Farmers Union, Lekh Ram Vayeshnoi, has been in constant touch with farmers in the sector to update them on the situation.

The matter has been under dispute for sometime now ever since the collapse of the old Sigatoka Bridge following the floods in January. As a result of which Olosara farmers are unable to transport their cane to Lautoka Mill.

FSC has taken the opportunity posed by the broken bridge to convert the sector from rail transportation to lorry. The Sugar Cane Growers Council has strongly objected to this.

The dispute went before the Tribunal and in hearings held last month the SCGC made strong representations for rail transport to be maintained in view of the excessively poor state of roads in the area, and the high cost of lorry transportation to farmers.

The Council presented several affidavits from Olosara farmers, bus owners operating in the area as well video clips of the pathetic state of roads, in putting its case before the Tribunal.

The Tribunal himself visited the site in the course of the hearing. He has yet to give a ruling on the matter.

“The situation is worrying. But farmers in Olosara will simply have to wait for the Tribunal’s decision before any further development can take place. There is nothing anyone can do until then,” Mr Vayeshnoi said.