The Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) has voiced strong support for recommendations made by Ba’s prominent sugarcane farmer and former Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) board member Arvind Singh. Singh urged industry leaders to adopt cost-cutting measures to revive Fiji’s struggling sugar industry.

NCCI president Dr. Ram Raju stated that the industry, once the backbone of Fiji’s economy, has suffered from decades of neglect and mismanagement.

“We fully agree with Mr. Singh’s views. The time to take action is now,” said Dr. Raju.

Highlighting sugar price instability due to global oversupply and declining demand, Dr. Raju emphasized that profitability is still achievable with better management practices.

He proposed the establishment of two state-of-the-art sugar mills—one in Viti Levu and one in Vanua Levu—as a cost-effective solution for Fiji’s scale of production.

Dr. Raju also suggested combining smaller, mismanaged farms into larger operations for increased efficiency. Addressing issues such as short-term land leases and labor shortages, he stressed the need for modern and practical solutions to steer the industry back on track.