Optimal results are starting to show at Fiji’s three sugarcane crushing mills, after a slow start to the new harvest season.

Initial concerns over low productivity at Lautoka mill-marred the start of the season.

Fiji Sugar Corporation said the number of stop-start production phases reported at all three mills had reduced significantly, since the season opened five weeks ago.

However, low supply of sugarcane to Lautoka mill was a concern, FSC said.

With both mills designed to comfortably crush 5500 tonnes of cane daily, the current supply was averaging 4500 tonnes in Lautoka and Rarawai Mills.

“This situation leads to a stop- start nature of operations, thus negatively impacting mill productivity and sugar recovery,” FSC said in the report.”

“Cane quality was not spared in the spate of setbacks in the sugar cane sector,” FSC said.

“Extraneous matter in mechanically harvested cane, and increase in burnt cane received at the mills, compounded the beginning of the season,” FSC said.

“Stakeholders, especially farmers, needed to supply cane of the best quality,” FSC said.

Cane supply was a set back to the current crushing season, as the three mills reported stop-start production.

Five weeks into the 2022 crushing season, Fiji Sugar Corporation reported close to 50 per cent of stoppage at Lautoka and Rarawai Mills, while Labasa had 90 per cent stoppages.

The total tonnage crushed at all three mills this far into the season is 236,706.

The first three weeks of the crushings season brought with it good supply of cane, FSC said.

As at July 11, the Labasa mill  crushed 115,374 tonnes of cane.

However, rainy weather gave rise to low harvest that contributed to 90 percent of mill stoppages.

Production has recommenced, with subsequent delivery to the Malau Bulk terminal.

Malfunction of equipment marred the start up of production at the Lautoka Mill at the beginning of the season.

Mill performance gradually improved by the second week of crushing, and has since seen the factory perform optimally.

The major concern for the mill was poor harvesting efforts, which contributed to 49 per cent overall mill stops.

Lautoka mill crushed 65,461 tonnes of cane for the season, in the lead up to July 11, FSC said.

Rarawai mill has reported an improvement in cane supply as more harvest gangs are exployed.

The mill crushed 55,872 in the past five weeks, following concerns over weak harvesting efforts, that led to 48 per cent of total factory stops.

Ba is also supplying cane to Lautoka Mill for crushing.

The mills were designed to comfortably crush 5500 tonnes of cane a day.

The Lautoka and Rarawai mills currently average 4500 tonnes a day in terms of production.

Feedback: nicolette.chambers@fijisun.com.fj

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