Land tenure and sugar production in Fiji: property rights and economic performance

Abstract

By the end of this decade, more than 6,000 agricultural leases will have expired in Fiji. The families who have farmed these areas for generations will lose a major source of income, and sugar production and its contribution to Fiji?s economy is likely to suffer as a result. This paper looks at the effects of the planned land reforms and the role of the Native Land Trust Board, whose powers inhibit landowners and tenants from freely negotiating terms and conditions of contracts