Sugar Festival in Fiji

Fiji is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean. Ninety per cent of the population is settled on Viti Levu and Vanua Levu islands. Lautoka is the second largest city of Fiji after the capital Suva . Lautoka lies in the western part of the major island of Viti Levu. It is in the centre of Fiji's sugar cane growing belt and is known as the Sugar City. Every September, the Sugar Festival in Fiji is celebrated in Lautoka.

Lautoka is known as the Sugar City because of its cane growing areas. There is a major mill known as the Lautoka Sugar Mill. It was constructed in four years, between 1899 and 1903, by labourers from India and the Solomon Islands for the Colonial Sugar Refining Company of Fiji. Lautoka originates from two Fijian words meaning "spear hit." Sugar is Fiji's principal export earner and it is therefore not surprising that the sugar festival in Fiji is a popular annual event. Apart from the large sugar mill employing in excess of a thousand people, there is the new Hare Krishna Temple and old golden charm with colonial homes and ancient banyan trees.

The main agricultural products of Fiji are products such as sugarcane, coconuts, tapioca, rice, sweet potatoes, bananas etc. Sugar by far is the single largest agricultural product and accounts for the most industrial activity. The sugar from Fiji finds its way to European Union markets. It is therefore no wonder that the sugar festival in Fiji is celebrated with much gusto.

Fiji is a multi racial and multi cultural country and this can be best evinced from its holidays during the year. These are:
New Year's Day, Hindu Holi festival, Ram Navmi Hindu festival, Easter, Christian festival; Friday and Sunday being public holidays, Constitution Day Prophet's Birthday, Muslim festival, Sugar Festival in Lautoka, Fiji Day, Diwalii Hindu festival of lights and Christmas. One can observe here that amongst so many holidays, the sugar festival in Fiji too adds to the national fervor of Fiji.