In the 1998 Sugar Cane Growers Council elections, the NFU won 22 seats. In 2001, the National Farmers Union won 21 seats while the Fiji Cane Growers Association won 16 seats. One seat went to an independent. In 2004, the NFU retained its majority in the Sugar Cane Growers Council, winning 22 of the 38 seats contested. It had increased its support by one seat compared to the last results while its rival, the NFP-backed Fiji Cane Growers Association managed only fourteen seats, down two seats from the previous elections. The remaining two seats went to independent candidates. National Farmers Union polled 52 per cent of all votes cast compared to the Fiji Cane Growers Association's 42 percent.