Bad business: Sugar mills not paying up, farmers say

FAISALABAD: Scores of farmers from Jhang on Sunday staged a demonstration against sugar mill owners for not paying their dues. The protesters gathered at Ayub Chowk and blocked it for traffic for several hours. As a result, traffic was clogged at Sargodha Road, Faisalabad Road, Old Chiniot Road and Kutchery Road.

Earlier, the protestors had marched on Toba Road, Station Chowk and Kutchery Road demanding immediate payment for their sugarcane produce.  Talking to newsmen, Akhtar Hussain, one of the protesters, said sugar mills owned farmers billions of rupees for 2013-14 and 2014-15 purchases. He said farmers were facing severe financial hardship. “We have asked mill administrations a number of times to pay but they keep dilly dallying.”  He said farmers had been unable to purchase seed, fertiliser, pesticides and other necessary items for the next season. He said farmers would continue to protest until full payments were made. On being informed, a team from Jhang police station met the protesters and assured them that their issue would be taken up by senior officials and resolved amicably.  The farmers called off the protest and dispersed on this assurance.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2015.