Sugarcane crushing begins in Punjab without price notification

LAHORE: Sugarcane crushing season started in Punjab without notification of sugarcane price either due to negligence of the provincial government or underhand dealings with mill owners who managed to delay it for depriving the farmers of their hard-earned money.

It is first time in country’s history that the sugarcane crushing season started in Punjab without officially announcing minimum purchase rate as in the past it was notified almost a month before the crushing season which kicked off by mid November.

So far four sugar mills have started their crushing season while six more will start it in the next two days and by the end of November almost 15 mills would join crushing.

The mills start purchase for a minimum one week before the start of crushing to prepare the machinery and check boilers. Thus, those mills have already started crushing had purchased sugarcane almost after mid of November. According to the farmers, mills in Faisalabad division started crushing and purchased sugarcane even below than the last year sugarcane minimum purchase price of Rs180 per maund (40kg).

On the other hand, the Sugarcane Board, a representative board of all stakeholders including farmers, millers, agriculture and food departments and other officials concerned had already suggested Rs190 per maund sugarcane price for the crushing season 2019-20. The official who attended the meeting of the Sugarcane Board informed The News that after negotiations among the stakeholders Rs10 per maund increase was recommended while the farmers’ representatives were asking to increase it to Rs250 per maund rate.

However, the Punjab government ignored the sensitivity of the matter in timely fixing and notifying the minimum purchase price of sugarcane giving free hand to the millers to exploit the growers at least almost three to four weeks prior to the notification. The negligence of the government will result in a mega payment issue to the farmers by end of the crushing season, the official observed.

The official mentioned that government’s bad intention was clear with the act that no permanent sugarcane commissioner was appointed by it for the last five to six months while additional charge of the cane commission office was with the director food who is already engaged in managing wheat flour price and wheat supplies to the mills. Thus, the issue of sugarcane growers was put on the backburner giving space to the millers to buy sugarcane on their own price.

Punjab Food Secretary Dr Zafar Nasarullah Khan admitted the delay in notifying of sugarcane price in Punjab for crushing season 2019-20. However, he holds the provincial cabinet responsible for delaying the matter. He said it was included in the last cabinet meeting agenda. Now the approval of minimum sugarcane purchase price was again included in the next cabinet meeting agenda which is likely to be held later this week.

“According to the Supreme Court orders, only cabinet and chief minister can approve and notify the minimum sugarcane purchase price,” he said, adding that everything was ready and only cabinet nod was required. On issue of purchase of sugarcane by the millers even below the last year minimum purchase price, food secretary believed that it was impossible as more demand of sugarcane was anticipated this season.

However, he was unable to justify the higher anticipated demand of sugarcane by the millers due to shortage of sugarcane or issue of delayed payment of sugarcane in the past to the farmers or switching of farmers to other better cash crops. Meanwhile, a number of farmers complained about millers’ manipulation while purchasing sugarcane at the rate lower than last year official rate.