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Misunderstandings and rising tensions among farmers are being linked to possible cases of deliberate cane field fires in some parts of the country, raising concerns over safety in sugarcane farming areas.
Minister for Agriculture Tomasi Tunabuna says there have been repeated incidents over the years where disputes between farmers have escalated, resulting in crop damage through suspected arson.
In some cases, long-standing disagreements and breakdowns in communication have contributed to hostility within farming communities.
“But there is always some suspicion that people burn because they are not happy with the other farmers. We are discussing in the Cabinet that we will also have to see how we can try to minimize. We have certain areas that they have burned every year due to disagreements. People disagree with each other, and they take it out to the sugarcane fields. Labasa is one area where they normally have that. It’s very sad.”
Tunabuna says there have been recent cases of cane arson in Labasa, affecting the harvest of farmers’ crops.
Permanent Secretary for Sugar Dr Andrew Tukana says misinformation among farmers is fuelling tensions and increasing the risk of retaliatory actions that can destroy livelihoods.
The Ministry is working closely with the police to ensure patrols are carried out efficiently during the harvesting season.
