Crushing season: Sindh finally notifies minimum price of sugarcane

KARACHI: After much dilly-dallying on the issue causing serious unrest among the growers in the province, the Sindh government on Friday finally fixed the minimum procurement price of sugarcane by the sugar mills at the rate of Rs182 per 40 kilograms for the upcoming crushing season.

A notification issued to this effect by Sindh Government’s Secretary for Agriculture, Supply, & Prices Department on Friday stated: “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (i) of section 16 of Sugar Factories Control (Sindh Amendment) Act-2009, the Government of Sindh, Agriculture, Supply & Prices Department, with approval of Competent Authority, is pleased to fix the minimum price of sugarcane @ Rs 182 per 40 Kgs for crushing season 2018-19.

In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 16(3) of the Sugar Factories Control Act-1950 (Sindh Amendment) 2009, the Government of Sindh, Agriculture, Supply & Prices Department, is pleased to direct the Sugar Factories in the province to pay quality premium to the cane growers at the end of the crushing season 2018-19 at the rate of fifty paisa per 40 Kg cane for each 0.1 per cent (including fraction thereof to be calculated prorate) of excess sucrose recovery above 8.7 per cent determined on overall sucrose recovery basis of each mill”.

The concerned growers in Sindh had already started agitation against the delay in the start of crushing season by the sugar mills and non-issuance of the notification of minimum price of sugarcane in the province by Sindh government.