The withdrawal of EU sugar preferences and the bittersweet reform pill for Fiji

The phased removal of European sugar preferences has cast a dark cloud over the sustainability of Fiji's sugar industry. Using farm-level data, this article examines the extent to which Indo-Fijian farmers are technically efficient and the challenges faced in improving cane yields to offset the loss of EU preferences. It is shown that more efficient use of the same resources, technology and farming techniques could lead to a 24 per cent increase in cane output