Former prime minister and National Farmers Union general secretary Mahendra Chaudhry says if the Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) does not fix the Seaqaqa-Labasa Highway by June, it could have a huge impact on the delivery of cane to the Labasa sugar mill this year.
Mr Chaudhry made the comment in a letter to Fiji Sugar Corporation chief executive Bhan Pratap Singh last week in the wake of his tour to the Northern Division.
“A section of the Seaqaqa/Labasa Highway has been closed since the massive road slippage caused by Cyclone Ana earlier this year,” Mr Chaudhry said. “An alternative route through Naduri is now used to get to Labasa.
“The condition of this road is terrible and to drive a fully cane-laden lorry on it can be a nasty experience.
“Steep hills, narrow bends, boggy patches and potholes make it quite hazardous, to say the least. “This 20km stretch takes more than an hour to traverse.
“FRA is currently cutting a road uphill adjacent to where the slippage occurred to connect it with the Labasa Town end of the highway.
“It is not known how long it will take to complete this new connecting stretch but our concern is that it could pose serious cane supply problems for the Labasa mill if the works are not completed before the start of the crushing season.”
Questions sent to the FRA on the comments made by Mr Chaudhry remain unanswered.
