Colonial Sugar Refining Company (Fiji)
The
CSR Mills in Fiji
Sugar production had started in Fiji with the collapse of the cotton price in early 1860s. Many small sugar mills were established but these were badly managed and not profitable. During the period of low sugar prices in the 1890s, most of these mills closed, leaving only four mills in operation in Fiji at the turn of the century. CSR's first Mill in Fiji started crushing sugar cane in
Suppliers of cane for CSR mills
Fijians as a source of cane
When sugar mills were being set up in Fiji in the 1870s and 1880s it was hoped that Fijians would be the major supplier of cane. Initially cane was grown by Fijians as a tax crop. Each province was assessed for tax and if the value of the crop handed to the Government exceeded the assessment, a refund was paid to the province. In 1884 Fijians produced 8,884 tons of cane which was 12% of the total cane crushed that year. By 1900, cane supplied by Fijians had risen to 15,447 tons but as a proportion to the total this was only 6%. After 1902, when a change in Government policy allowed cash to be paid for tax, cane supplied by Fijians decreased so that by 1914 cane produced by Fijians was negligible.
European contractors
In 1880, settlers in Rewa had agreed to grow cane for the CSR for 10 shillings a ton. Even with a bonus in 1884 and 1885, planters were unable to earn a living. Many planters wanted to sell their unprofitable land but CSR would not allow this. When the contract expired, CSR was forced to take over these plantations. The CSR acquired more land for growing cane and by 1914 controlled over 100,000 acres (400 km2). There also arrived in Fiji a new set of landholders who either planted cane themselves or leased their land for cane planting.
European tenants
In 1890, CSR started leasing its estates to plantation managers and others with capital. At this time there was a general belief that cane plantations were economically viable due to improved cultivation methods and CSR tenants generally paid less rent than other contractors. From 1905 the CSR came under increasing pressure, by overseers, to lease its large estates because the overseers wanted a share in the profit of the sugar industry. In 1908, the management of CSR decided to divide its estates into 400 to 1000 acre (1.6 to 4 km2) lots and lease them to its overseers because it was noted that relationship between tenants and their labourers were better than between the company overseers and its Indian labourers. By 1914, most of the CSR's cane was bought from these tenants. One negative effect this had on CSR was that while all the experienced overseers had become tenants, it was left with inexperienced overseers, which led to labour troubles.
See also
- CSR Limited
- Chelsea Sugar Refinery
- Sugar mills in Fiji
- Rail transport in Fiji (the cane trains)
External links
References
- ^ FIJI: Handbook of the Colony, Government Printer, Suva, 1936, p. 65
- M. Moynah, Brown or white? A history of the Fiji sugar industry 1873 – 1973, Australian National University, 1981