December 18, 2002	Wednesday	Shawwal 13, 1423

KARACHI, Dec 17: Industries and Production Minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi announced on Tuesday sugarcane price had been fixed at Rs43 per 40 kilograms in Sindh for the current season.

He was addressing a press conference along with representatives of sugarcane growers and mills owners at PIDC House. He said that both sugarcane growers and Pakistan Sugar Mills Association, Sindh zone, had agreed on this price and they would begin crushing very soon.

The minister said problems of sugar mills, including the surplus commodity, would be solved on priority basis and the government would allow the export subsidy to them.

“I have convened a meeting of sugar mills owners in Islamabad on Friday to solve the problems of the industry. The ministers of commerce and food and adviser to the PM on finance will also be invited at this meeting to sit together and solve the problems facing the industry,” Mr Jatoi said.

“I will talk to them. They are my colleague in the Cabinet and we want to solve the problem of the industry and promote industrialization,” he added. He was confident the problems, including subsidy on sugar export, will be solved at the meeting and said the government wanted to protect the interest of both — growers as well as industry.

He pointed out that Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali has asked the Cabinet to give him details about the input cost for agriculture products, including fertilizers, diesel, electricity for a considerable reduction. He said due to late start of crushing, the agriculture field was occupied and growers were not able to sow wheat in time.—APP