Sindh farmers say govt’s cane support price too low

Refuse to supply sugarcane to mills till it is increased.

MATLI: It is uncertain when the sugar crushing season will be initiated in Badin, as growers have refused to supply sugarcane to sugar mills, terming the government’s purchase price as insufficient.

The Badin district is called the sugarcane belt of Sindh, as five major sugar mills – Dewan Sugar Mills,  Mirza Sugar Mills, Army Welfare Sugar Mills, Pangrio Sugar Mills and Khoski Sugar Mills – are all situated in the region.

Leaders of sugarcane growers Sikander Ali Jat, Haji Nawab Laghari and Ismail Lashari told media that the present sugarcane support rate is too low, and that sugar growers have demanded that the government increase the support rate of sugarcane at Rs300 per maund or more. They said they would prefer burning their produce in front of sugar mills rather than sell it at such low rates.

Meanwhile, rice traders have also lowered the rates at which they purchase paddy, as growers are eager to sell off their produce in their haste to secure money for Eidul Azha expenses.

The owners of rice mills and big traders and commission agents are manipulating the situation and have lowered the purchasing rates of rice. Smaller growers have no option but to sell their produce at what rates it can fetch, as there are rumours in the market that the rate of rice will drop further after Eid.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2012.