Trade: Cane growers in Fiji face crisis

Fiji's cane growers are facing a crisis following the announcement by the European Union on a projected reduction in sugar price by 39 per cent by 2010.

Dr Padma Lal of the Trade Forum Secretariat said "As the EU is under pressure to remove all of its subsidies we can only bargain so much to stay with $36 per ton of sugar by 2009."

It is estimated that only 14% of current sugar farms will be viable in five years.