FIJI MAKES SUGAR PAYMENT TO GET HARVEST STARTED Fiji sugar farmers will receive an interim payment on the 1986 crop, four months ahead of schedule, in a move aimed at getting harvesting of the drought-hit 1987 crop under way, Governor-general Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau said. Industry sources said latest forecasts for the 1987 crop indicated output of 360,000 tonnes, well down on the record 501,800 tonne tel quel production in the 1986 (May-December) crop year. The previous record was set in 1982 when Fiji produced 486,790 tonnes. For the past month Fiji sugar farmers have delayed harvesting the 1987 crop pending a response from the Governor-general to demands following the May 14 coup. Ganilau said in a statement the Fiji Sugar Corp would make a payment of five dlrs per tonne against the final payment for the 1986 crop on the understanding that preparations by growers for commencement of harvesting would be completed at all mills by June 23. Crushing would commence at Labasa and Penang mills on June 23 and at Lautoka and Rarawai mills on June 30, he said. The interim payment, to be made on or about June 30, is the full amount of the grower's share of 1986 sugar proceeds received to-date. The balance will be paid in October. Growers had also called for the full 1987 forecast price of 23.50 dlrs per tonne of cane to be paid in cash on delivery to the mill, but this has been rejected by the state controlled Fiji Sugar Corp, Ganilau said. However, in addition to the scheduled delivery payment of 14.10 dlrs, an additional sum of 2.35 dlrs, or 10 pct of the forecast price, would be paid on December 15, on all cane harvested by November 30, he said. Ganilau said, "This will be at least one month in advance of the expected date of payment of the second payment of cane. The balance of the second payment will be made six weeks after the end of crushing." Another demand of Fiji's 22,000 small farmers was that an estimated 14 mln dlr loan from the Fiji Development Bank (FDB) for the 1983 cane crop rehabilitation programme be written off. The FDB rejected this request. Ganilau said, however, "The bank is prepared to carefully consider requests for rescheduling loan repayments in cases of hardship on a case-by-case basis." In response to a further demand that all soldiers be removed from the cane growing areas, Ganilau said the army would restrict its presence in the cane areas. He said he had directed the authorities to issue permits to harvesting gangs, cane growers and sugar industry trade unions to hold the necessary meetings in preparation for the commencement of harvest. Senior representatives of the sugar cane growers had indicated a desire to commence the crush as soon as possible, he added.