Sugarcane crisis deepens: Most Punjab mills keep doors shut on farmers

LAHORE: Sugarcane crushing crisis has deepened in Punjab province as most mills continued to shut their doors on farmers on the second consecutive day.

Following secretly agreeing with each other, sources said, most members of All Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) closed down their mills as purchase price jumped to Rs210 to Rs230 per maund against official rate of Rs190. The main reason for price war among sugar mills had been stated to be a cut-throat competition in attracting farmers amid reports of reduction in sugarcane production.

Except for a few sugar mills in Rahim Yar Khan, and one each in Bahawalpur, Chishtian and Bhakkar, sources said, crushing by mills had been stopped across Punjab province for an indefinite period of time. Some mills have decided to start crushing after January 10, they added.

Sources said that the Punjab cane commissioner could not succeed in pursuing owners of the sugar mills to resume crushing operations in the province. Various officials of the district administration also have failed to address concerns of farmers. The district administrations of Jhang and Chiniot held meetings with local farmers on Monday, but no tangible result could be produced with respect to opening of mills.

Khalid Mehmood Khokhar alleged that influential sugar mill owners were blackmailing helpless growers. Farmers haved been left with no option but to launch protest against the sugar mills owners and the provincial government from Tuesday (today). “We are going to stage demonstrations in various districts of the province and one such big gathering of farmers has been planned in district Jhang, where farmers are the worst-hit due to stopping of sugarcane crushing,” he added. The price of sugarcane should remain Rs190 per maund and rate of sugar should not be go up beyond Rs50 per kg, he insisted.