The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet in its meeting held on July 28, 2020 has allowed import of 0.3 million tons of sugar so as to bridge the gap between present stocks and consumption. It will be pertinent to give an account of sugar availability / exports in the country during the past few years:-
The ECC in its meeting held on December 28, 2016 had approved export of 225,000 tons of sugar spurred by an expected surplus of more than one million tons in current production year. The ECC in its meeting held on March 28, 2017 had allowed sugar mills to export 200,000 tons of sugar by 31st May, 2017. The ECC in its meeting held on July 18, 2017 had approved export of 0.3 million tons of sugar against the demand of 0.6 million tons. The ECC in its meeting held on November 28, 2017 had allowed the export of 1.5 million tons of sugar in view of the availability of surplus sweetener in the country.
The ECC in its meeting held on October 02, 2018 had allowed one million tons of sugar to ease sweetener surplus in the country. It will be observed from the above narrative that the country has become a sugar importing country instead of exporting one (another change after the wheat crisis). There is a strong and urgent need to give a serious consideration to the matter. Needless to mention that Pakistan being an agricultural country is becoming food importing country instead of exporting one in the past.
Khan Faraz
Peshawar