Wealth From Fiji’s Cane-Lands

AN admirable and timely booklet has been produced recently by the Colon ial Sugar Refining Company. It tells the romantic story of sugar in Fiji.

The authors, for the benefit of laymen, have kept away from technicalities. They have also kept clear of the history of Indian immigration in respect of Fiji—a controversial subject at the present time, although there is a demand for an authentic history.

Fiji’s sugar story goes back to the early seventies, when two enterprising Euro peans set up a small mill where the pre sent town of Suva now stands. Their en terprise was not financially a success, but from these small beginnings developed the huge and prosperous industry which to day produces the greater part of the Colony’s income.

The Colonial Sugar Refining Company was started in Australia in 1855 and, by the time it had acquired interests in Fiji in 1880, it was firmly established and was therefore able to bring more resources and experience to Fiji sugar production than had previous enterprises.

The Company’s first mill was at Nau sori, on the Rewa River, about 18 miles from Suva. This mill was in operation by 1882. Another mill was established at Rarawai, near Ba, in 1886; one at Labasa (Vanua Levu) in 1894; and the Company’s largest mill at Lautoka in 1903. In 1926 the CSR acquired the mill at Penang from the Penang Sugar Company, thus establishing what has come to be recog nised as a benevolent monopoly of the sugar industry of Fiji.

THE cane-lands of Fiji lie along the sea board from the south-east coast of Viti Levu to the north-west coast and in the rich alluvial valley of the

Rewa River. On Vanua Levu they are confined to the Labasa district, in the north.

Originally, the CSR Company worked its own farm lands with the heln of in dentured Indian labourers. But after the indenture system was discontinued in 1916, its huge holdings were cut up into 8,000 individual farms of an average of 12 acres, and worked by Indian tenant far mers. As well as their cash crop of cane, these farmers also grow food crops such as rice, beans and other vegetables.

From the time the CSR began opera tions in Fiji in 1882 sugar production in creased steadily year by year—except for two periods—after the indenture system was abolished and into the early 20’s, when shortage of labour was followed by

strikes: and from the industrial troubles of 1943 until last year, when the trend of production again began an upward curve.

Although the growing of cane is now almost wholly in the hands of the Indian farmers, the Company continues to fi nance them for their harvesting expenses and farm requirements, and to make cash advances where necessary at a low in terest rate. The Company, as well, has a staff of specially trained field officers who work closely with the farmers, ad vise on methods of cultivation, drainage, types of cane and other technical mat ters.

The Compnay also makes itself re sponsible for transportation and to this end has provided a complete railway sys tem of over 440 miles of permanent light railway, 160 miles of portable line, 57 locomotives, 6,400 cane trucks and a fleet of cane-punts, barges, lighters, steam and

diesel launches to move the cane from the Rewa River area.

Each farmer co-operates with his neigh bours at harvest time. They form gangs to cut and load the cane on trucks which the Company brings into the paddocks on portable lines. These are then pulled by bullocks to the permanent way, where they are then drawn into the mills by locomotives.

This railway also carries goods and pas sengers—all free.

THE booklet describes fully the pro cesses through which the cane goes before it is ready to be shipped from Fiji as brown (or raw) sugar. It also gives much valuable information about the Company’s other enterprises—the growing and canning of Fiji pineapples, the large beef-raising project at Yaqara, and the training scheme for Fijian youths at Drasa.

A normal year’s output of Fiji sugar is 130,000 tons of which all but 8,000 tons is exported. As well as the 8.800 Indian farmers, an additional 2,400 Fijians and Indians are employed in the Company’s mills and other undertakings and, in all, about 40,000 people in Fiji draw their livelihood directly from the industry.

Many others do so indirectly as the value of sugar exports amounts to more than half of the Colony’s income.

A note of worning is issued, however, in the statement that all these widespread activities within Fiji depend upon opera tions outside the Colony itself, and that the continued stability of the in dustry depends, to a large extend upon the continuance of Empire preference for Fiji sugar. World prices for sugar are not expected to continue at the high level of 1948.

The booklet is well produced and illus trated with photographs (many of them from the Fiji Public Relations Office) and with drawings. It is an interesting and valuable contribution to the history of Fiji’s chief industry.