MAHESH Prasad was a hard-working cane farmer who gave about 40 years of his life to the sugar cane industry.
Mr Prasad, 62, shared a passion for his work and died on Tuesday near his Rewasa home doing what he loved when the truck he was driving tumbled into a drain.
A committed president of the Rakiraki Cane Lorry Operators Association, his death will be felt by the industry, says Sugar Cane Growers Council CEO Sundresh Chetty.
Mr Chetty said the deceased had been an asset to the industry.
"Mr Prasad was one of the few people in the industry who was always in the frontline, working for the good of the industry," he said.
"He was a hardworking man and always tried to find solutions to problems faced by his members in Rakiraki.
"He was a man of integrity. He had a passion for the industry since his humble beginnings as a grower."
Mr Prasad's daughter, Gita Anjali, said her father was returning home at 9pm after delivering cane to the mill when the accident happened.
"My dad left a vacuum in our home that can never be filled," the 25-year-old school teacher said.
"I just didn't imagine he would die like this. He always taught us the importance of love.
Mr Prasad was the national treasurer of the Fiji Cane Lorry Operators Association and a former SCGC councillor.
Police spokesperson Naina Ragigia said investigations into the accident were continuing.
The funeral will be held today in Rakiraki.