Propping up the sugar industry

Why is Fiji's government spending $9 million propping up the sugar industry with grants to farmers?  Surely a successful farmer can do his own work. Seems to me that they continually want the sugarcane farmers to keep on going even though their rewards are minimal in this kind of industry. You could make five times the profit just by planting watermelons I reckon.  One other thing I discovered by discussing the topic of cane farming is that if you have a cane lease you can get a loan, so that means some farmers just take advantage of this, and then they are continually indebted to the lender, and each year just get another loan etc. etc.  Not good business at all.
Here's the article in the Fiji Sun. http://fijisun.com.fj/2017/01/14/apply-now-for-re-planting-grant-farmers-urged/
And in the Fiji Times - which adds the bit about farmers effected by flooding etc.

$9m in new cane grant

Shayal Devi
Saturday, January 14, 2017

ABOUT $9 million has been made available to help farmers through a cane grant.

Ministry of Sugar permanent secretary Yogesh Karan said they were putting through an expression of interest for the assistance, which farmers could apply for. The grant is expected to primarily assist farmers who were affected by flooding last month.

Mr Karan said a report on the damage sustained had been completed.

"We'll be relooking at the farms which have been affected and they can apply for that, so that is the immediate assistance that will be given to them."

He said the criteria required for the grant would be highlighted through advertisements in the newspapers today.

"Next week, we will be using the radio so we are able to talk to farmers so that we have given enough information for them to be able to access and make use of that."