Fiji Sugar Corporation

History

1) The colonial sugar refining company, a well-established Australian company started in Fiji in
1880, to produce sugar under the British rule.
2) The Fiji sugar corporation was incorporated in Fiji by an act of parliament in 1972 to take the
milling activities with the effect from 1st April 1973 from CSR.

Importance

1) Fcs is the largest public sector employer with a work force of approximately 2500 during the
crushing season
2) Contributes about 1.7% to GDP

Shareholders

The government of Fiji’s is a major shareholder that owns a share of 69.8% in the company. The rest is
owned by FNPF and Unit Trust of Fiji.

Problems

1) Mill breakdown- high leakage due to hiring of expert from overseas, farmers are reluctant to
produce sugarcane supply is poor
2) Transportation of materials to the mill
3) Less sugarcane production due to burning of cane (affects quality)

Diversification

1) Molasses which is exported and given to SPD to manufacture alcohol and ethanol
2) Bagasse which is used as boiler field to generate energy
3) Mill mud used for manure and supplied to SPD as fertilizer

Government policies

1) Provided $8.4 million for sugar production in 2014

2) Renewing land leases to farmers
3) Providing sugarcane farming incentives such as scholarship, land & farming equipment etc.

Future plans

Is to provide the best quality of sugar. In order to achieve this, they have strict quality measures in place
whereby the quality of sugar produced is ensured that they are up to par with the regular tests that are
conducted in their laboratory during production.
Timber millers

There are many timber millers in Fiji e.g. dayal saw millers, Tropic wood, Fiji touchwood ltd, Fiji pine etc.

Fiji pine

History

1) Fiji pine limited is a public company created in 1990 to manage the assets, liabilities and
obligation of the Fiji pine commission following its incorporated. But it started in milling
activities in 1991.
2) It is based in Lautoka Fiji
3) 370 contract laborers are employed for establishment activities i.e. nursery, planting & weeding
4) The major shareholders are the government and the landowners

Features

1) Capital intensive- most of the logging is done by man with the use of machines
2) Secondary industry because timber is processed from the logs

Importance

1) Provides employment to landowners & loggers

2) Contributes to GDP of the country
3) Foreign exchange- their products are sold domestically & exported internationally to Japan and
they are the predominant purchaser of the woodchips & Australia as the major purchaser of
sawn timber

Problems

1) Bush fire damage during very hot seasons as this burns younger plants
2) Machine breakdown costs are expensive
3) Fluctuation of prices in the world market for timber
4) Landowners are dissatisfied with the money that they receive as royalty

Diversification

1) Waste timber are sold & used as firewood

2) Saw- dust is sold and used as fertilizer

Future plans

1) expand the pine harvesting business in another places

2) Modify the existing organizational culture to become a more profitable, efficient and effective
organization
Government policies

1) License given to FPL to harvest pine plantation on the island of Kadavu

2) Children of landowners are given priority to receive college scholarships overseas, particularly in
the areas of commercial management of forestry operations
3) Government doing research on how to improve the quality of trees