Stop the blame game, Mr Vaniqi
Give us the figures

[posted 11 July 2011, 15.30]

All indications are that the sugar mills are not performing satisfactorily. This could be why FSC is not releasing figures on cane crush or sugar make.

The Penang Mill ground to a halt on Saturday and had not commenced crushing when this report was posted. By all accounts the mill has been malfunctioning since it began crush on 28 June. Sources have reported that it is operating at a TCTS of 20:1 which means it is taking 20 tonnes of cane to produce one tonne of sugar.

The Lautoka and Rarawai Mills are running at a slow pace. Farmers are not receiving regular quotas and are expressing concern about it to NFU. Not enough bagasse is being produced at any of the mills, forcing FSC to purchase wood chips as fuel.

Permanent Secretary for Sugar Manasa Vaniqi’s frequent statements trying to put the blame on politicians and the unions for the current plight of the sugar industry, is without substance and a tactic to divert attention away from the real problems facing the industry.

The NFU has pointed out before that at the height of union activity in the past two decades, the sugar industry was performing at its peak. So it’s not the “politics” in the industry that is to blame for its current problems. The unions were in fact, keeping FSC on its toes.

Instead of continually finger pointing at others, Vaniqi should give the cane farmers an account of the amount of cane crushed at each mill and sugar make and the TCTS. He should also disclose when the first sugar shipment is expected to go.

It is abundantly clear that the 2008-2010 seasons have seen a downturn of the industry, never experienced before. Let the blame lie where it belongs!

MP Chaudhry