DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Dec 1: The Chashma Sugar Mill has postponed its crushing season again for an indefinite period creating shortage of sugar, besides causing unemployment to seasonal staff.
Previously, the mill has twice postponed crushing during the current season and asked its seasonal staff not to report for duty till next advice from the mill administration.
The mill used to ask the growers to supply sugar-cane to the mill from the beginning of November every year. This time, the crushing season was announced from 15th November.
The date was further extended for one week but recently the administration again postponed its crushing season for an indefinite period.
The sugar-cane growers who regularly supply their cane to the mill have left with no choice but to install their own expellers for making raw-sugar and at many places these expellers have started functioning.
As part of the crop pattern, the growers use the same land under sugar-cane for the wheat sowing.
But as the sugar-cane crops still exist in the fields a large number of farmers have not sown wheat so far, which might affect the wheat crop and cause financial loss to the growers.
They have demanded of the government to take appropriate measures to prevent them of any possible loss.