Deepak Pratap

Fiji Sugar Corporation Limited

The Fiji Sugar Corporation Limited (FSC), the largest public company in Fiji was incorporated in Fiji by an Act of Parliament in 1972 and commenced operations from the 1st of April 1973. The Government of Fiji is the major shareholder. FSC is the largest private sector employer with a workforce exceeding 2,500 during the crushing season. FSC owns and operates four sugar mills for the conversion of sugar cane into raw sugar. These mills at Lautoka, Rarawai and Penang on Viti Levu, and Labasa on Vanua Levu can crush approximately 2 million tonnes of cane and produce 200-250 thousand tonnes of sugar in a season. The crushing season has an average length of 28-30 weeks, extending from late May to early December. The mills operate on a 24x7 basis during the crushing season. Maintenance in these mills can be categorised as:  Overhaul – During the non-crush season a complete overhaul is performed on each mill  Scheduled Cleaning – Scheduled mill down-time for cleaning and maintenance.  Non-scheduled Maintenance – Repairs to plant due to breakdown. In addition, FSC owns and maintains a railway network on which sugar cane is transported to its mills. This is based on 732 km of railway track, 2,000 of portable lines, 76 locomotives and 9,800 cane trucks. FSC on behalf of the industry is responsible for the storage, marketing, delivery and sale of raw sugar to customers in Fiji, the Pacific and rest of the world. Raw sugar accounts for about 24% of Fiji's exports.