 In 1981, the NFU had its first major dispute with the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) when it sought compensation for losses incurred by farmers due to the abnormal closure of the Labasa Mill.In the early 1980s, the NFU joined other farmers' unions under an umbrella organisation known as, the Joint Committee of Cane Growers Associations, to take part in the restructure if the sugar industry in Fiji.In 1985, the NFU took industrial action to raise the forecast price of sugar cane from $17.50 per ton to $20 per ton.