by Marie Kauna – EMTV Online, Port Moresby
UK based sugar buyer Tate and Lyle has announced that it will no longer purchase fair trade sugar from Fiji, as marketing outcomes of the product fail to remain promising.
This announcement has affected the local Fijian sugar farmers, thus worrying many throughout the industry.
The Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) has come out to clear the air on the future sale of Fijian fair trade sugar. FSC Executive Chairman Abdul Khan said “Tate and Lyle will continue to buy our sugar but just not with the fair trade premium as previously assumed by the farmers.”
The outcome of this announcement has indicated that the Fijian farmers will be losing out on millions of dollars in fair trade; however, the FSC has created a new business network and identified a new buyer for their product.
The new hope now ties the business knot with Agrana, an Austrian company. Agrana will receive its first shipment of 35,000 tonnes this week.
In the meantime, FSC is now looking at venturing into markets in Germany, Australia and New Zealand.
Mr Khan said “The Corporation is expanding its reach beyond the European Union markets.”
