Lautoka Mill continues to malfunction

[posted 16 June 2011, 1630]

Ten days into the start of the 2011 crushing season the Lautoka Mill continues to malfunction giving rise to fears of a repeat of last year’s dismal performance.

In the 10 days of operation from 6 June, the mill has crushed only 10,421 tonnes of cane. This means an average crush of 1000 tonnes per day – a dismal performance for the country’s largest sugar mill.

No figures are available for sugar make. But mill sources report a high juice level due to low formation of brix. This is ascribed as the reason for the slow crush and poor recovery.

The mill has experienced stoppages for at least 5 of the 10 days it has been in operation, and crush has been very slow with scores of cane laden trucks piled up outside.

This morning the mill ground to a halt a 5am with 60 cane-laden lorries and three rows of cane trucks waiting to unload.

The mechanical problems persist despite repeated assurances by FSC chairman Abdul Khan that the mill has undergone good maintenance and will be crushing at optimal performance this season.

He now claims the breakdowns are a result of teething problems. But frequent stoppages indicate serious mechanical problems.

Cane farmers who have suffered heavy losses in the past two seasons (2009 and 2010) are worried that they may be in for another season of heavy loss if the situation continues.

They are asking why FSC is not harvesting any of its own cane at the Drasa estate. Why is it experimenting with farmers’ crop?

MP Chaudhry