Issue No: 679 13 April 2001

 The SCGC is the apex body of sugar cane farmers. By legislation, each farmer pays a levy per tonne of cane to fund the organization. When the organization was formed by law, 114 representatives of the 23,000 cane farmers were selected through direct elections.

 After the 1987 military coups the military regime reduced the number of elected representatives to 38 and added 8 persons who were nominated by the government. The 8 nominated persons are always ethnic Fijians. About 20% of all cane farmers are ethnic Fijians.

 The election for the 38 representatives takes place on 5 May. Farmers are divided into supporting the National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Fiji Cane Growers Council (FCGC).

 The NFU was formed in 1975 by trade unionists trying to organise the rural sector in Fiji. In the 1980’s it got affiliated to the Fiji Trades Union Congress.

 The FCGA was formed in 1993 by the National Federation Party to woo cane farmer support for the party. For most of its existence, the FCGA has been funded by big businesses in the country.

 Currently the council has 22 NFU nominated members and 16 FCGA members. But with some defections from the NFU together with the 8 nominated persons joining the FCGA, it is controlled by the FCGA.