Tareen’s sugar mills get highest export quota

LAHORE: The sugar mills owned by Jahangir Khan Tareen have been awarded highest export quota by the Punjab government.

Both JDW Sugar Mills-I and JDW Sugar Mills-II owned by Tareen have been allotted export quota of 10,783 tons out of total 96,000 tons sugar allowed to be exported from the Punjab province.

Punjab allocated sugar export quota on the basis of quantity produced by each mills instead of sucrose recovery, as per notification issued by the Cane Commissioner. If recovery of sucrose contents was to be made basis for allocation of export quota, Tareen’s mills could have been awarded even bigger quota as he owns most efficient sugar factories in the country.

A notification issued by Cane Commissioner on Monday (July 01, 2024) stated that data regarding sugarcane crushed and sugar produced during the crushing season 2023-24 has been obtained from the Punjab Sugar Mills Association (Punjab Zone). As per analysis of data, it is observed that in certain areas of the province, sucrose content/recovery of sugar is higher than the other areas, therefore, allocation of quota on the basis of sugar produced would deal a double whammy to the sugar mills having less sucrose content/recovery of sugar. It is, therefore, deemed judicious and equitable to allocate quota on the basis of sugarcane crushed by each sugar mill.

Government of Punjab issued a quota for exporting 96,000 tons of sugar to 41 sugar mills in the province, which was notified by Cane Commissioner of Punjab Abdul Rauf. As per the notification, Hamza Sugar Mills got quota of exporting 6,535 tons, Madina Sugar Mills 3,790 tons, Ramadan Sugar Mills 2,988 tons, Al-Arabia Sugar Mills 1,660 has been allowed to export sugar.

Additionally, Ashraf Sugar Mills has been allowed to export 2,158, Ittefaq Sugar Mills 1,298 Metric tons, Tandalianwala Sugar Mills 3,447 tons. Under pressure from millers, the Economic Coordination Council approved the export of total 150,000 metric tons of sugar. The decision came just two days before the announcement of national budget.