There have been numerous

sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalks t ...

farmers−growers

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

s in

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

and in the preceding British Colonony of Fiji (1874−1970). Some of the Fijian cane growers unions are/were provincially based, as indicated by their names: Nadroga Fijian Cane Growers Association in

Nadroga-Navosa Province Nadroga-Navosa ( Nadroga: Nadrogā-Navoha) is one of the fourteen provinces of Fiji and one of eight based in Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island. It is about 2,385 square kilometers and occupies the South-West and Central areas of Viti Levu, Fiji' ...

, the Ra Fijian Cane Growers Association in

Ra Province Ra is one of the fourteen provinces of Fiji. Occupying the northern area of Viti Levu, the largest island, it is one of eight Viti Levu-based Provinces. With a land area of 1341 square kilometers, it had a population of 30,432 at the 2017 census. ...

, and the Ba Fijian Cane Growers Association in

Ba Province Ba is a province of Fiji, occupying the north-western sector of Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island. It is one of fourteen provinces in the nation of Fiji, and one of eight based in Viti Levu. It is Fiji's most populous province, with a population o ...

. Other regionally based unions include Labasa Kisan Sangh, the Rewa Planters Union, and the

Southern Division Kisan Sangh The Southern Division Kisan Sangh was formed in Fiji in 1946 by a former member of parliament, K. B. Singh, due to personal differences with the president of the Rewa Planters Union, Ram Krishna Chaudhary. There was widespread opposition to this ...

. Other farmers unions were formed to provide leverage to ethnic sections of the community, such as

Indians in Fiji Indo-Fijians or Indian-Fijians (also known as Fiji Indians) are Fijian citizens of Non-resident Indian and Overseas Citizen of India, Indian descent, and include people who trace their ancestry to various regions of the Indian subcontinent.Gir ...

and indigenous

Fijian people Fijians ( fj, iTaukei, lit=Owners (of the land)) are a nation and ethnic group native to Fiji, who speak Fijian and share a common history and culture. Fijians, or ''iTaukei'', are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live in ...

History

The first farmers union in Fiji was the Indian Cane Growers Association, established in 1919. It negotiated with the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, the predominant sugar cane plantations and raw sugar production company established in 1880. The 1921 strike by sugar cane farmers was a spontaneous action led by Vashist Muni. Umbrella organisations were formed to present a united front in negotiating with the CSR and later the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) (est. 1973). In 1959, the Federation of Cane Growers was formed, and in 1980 the Joint Committee of Cane Growers Associations was formed.

Ethnicity and unions

The Fijian cane growers unions were ethnically and provincially based as indicated by their names; Nadroga Fijian Cane Growers Association, the Ra Fijian Cane Growers Association, and the Ba Fijian Cane Growers Association. Some unions claimed to be open for everyone but their membership indicated sectional interest. For example, the

Maha Sangh Akhil Fiji Krishak Maha Sangh (All Fiji Farmers’ Grand Union) was a sugar cane farmers' union formed on 15 June 1941 in opposition to the existing union, the Kisan Sangh. Supporters of Kisan Sangh tried to stop the formation of the Maha Sangh but ...

had a predominantly

South Indian South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...

membership, the

Vishal Sangh Vishal Sangh was a cane farmers' union established in Fiji on 1 September 1946, by mainly Sikh farmers, who refused to re-join the Kisan Sangh after its reunification following its split into two factions in 1943. It was led by Mehar Singh, one of t ...

had a predominantly

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

membership, and the

Kisan Sangh Kisan Sangh was the first farmers' union formed in Fiji on 27 November 1937. This was the result of one man's determination to improve the plight of Fiji's Indian cane farmers. Ayodhya Prasad had arrived from India in 1929, and after a stint as ...

had a predominantly

North Indian North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central ...

membership. In 1959, when the

Federation of Cane Growers The Federation of Cane Growers was formed as an umbrella organisation to negotiate the new cane contract due to take effect from 1960 with the Colonial Sugar Refining Company. Negotiations for 1960 cane contract Talks on the new contract starte ...

was negotiating the new cane contract with the Colonial Sugar Refining Company (CSR), three indigenous Fijian cane farmers unions were set up to send three Fijian delegates to the Federation although ethnic Fijians made up less than 5% of the cane farmers.

List of unions

Current and former sugar cane farmers−growers unions in Fiji, by date established, include: * 1919 - Indian Cane Growers Association * 1934 - Planters Association * 1937 -

* 1941 -

* 1953 - Rewa Planters Union * 1946 -

* 1946 -

* 1950 - Labasa Kisan Sangh * 1959 -

* 1959 - Nadroga Fijian Cane Growers Association * 1959 - Ra Fijian Cane Growers Association * 1959 - Ba Fijian Cane Growers Association * 1979 -

National Farmers Union of Fiji The National Farmers Union (''NFU) is one of Fiji's largest trade unions. It was launched in Labasa in July 1978 under the auspices of the Fiji Trades Union Congress, with Mahendra Chaudhry as its first General Secretary. The union was initiall ...

* 1980 - Joint Committee of Cane Growers Associations * 1992 -

Fiji Cane Growers Association The Fiji Cane Growers Association (FCGA) is a cane farmers' union established in 1992 by supporters of the National Federation Party (NFP). After the 1987 military coup in Fiji, most of the farmers' unions curtailed their activities, leaving the ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sugar Cane Farmers Unions In Fiji . .

History

Ethnicity and unions

List of unions

See also

References