The Minister for Sugar announced that Fiji Sugar Corporation will not make any deductions before Diwali to assist cane farmers celebrate the festival.
Whoever is writing speeches for the Minister will soon make him look like the proverbial King without clothes for he does not understand a bit about what he is being advised about.
Does the Minister know that not all cane farmers are poor, that not all cane farmers celebrate Diwali and that the cost of a traditional Diwali prayer is less than $200.00 which almost all farmers save for anyway?
The buying of fire crackers, new clothes, new pots and pans, new jewellery and big parties are commercial dimensions and have no significance to the festival.
A deduction deferred is still a debt payable in future so the announcement is really has a political angle and not a genuine effort to help farmers.
If the government is so concerned about helping farmers, take a positive approach and reduce costs or increase subsidies for transport and fertilizers.
The farmers are much wiser now and don’t buy-in cheap gambles.
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