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NAWABSHAH, Jan 12: The Sindh Abadgar Board, Nawabshah, on Sunday warned the district sugar mills of dire consequences if they began sugarcane crushing before accepting demands of the growers.
Talking to this correspondent, the president of the SAB, Nawabshah, Syed Zain Shah, said that the Al-Noor Sugar Mills, Shahpur Jehanian, had called its staff to start the mills’ operations.
He warned that if any of the three sugar mills of Nawabshah district started sugarcane crushing without fulfilling the demands of growers — including payment of Rs43 per 40kg of sugarcane, end to the zoning system and payment of quality premium — the mills would face a reaction of the sugarcane growers, ijncluding sit-ins outside the sugar mills.
He said that sugarcane growers of Sindh would decide about their future strategy at a meeting, to be held in Karachi on Jan 13.
In the meantime, the Habib Sugar Mills, Nawabshah, has issued indents (offer letters) to over 200 growers on Sunday, offering them a price not higher than Rs36 per 40kg.
The general manager of the HSM, Mohammad Yousuf, confirmed that indents had been issued for Jan 14.
The Al-Noor Sugar Mills, Shahpur Jehanian, and the Sakrand Sugar Mills had also issued indents on Saturday and the former began crushing sugarcane on Sunday.
KHAIRPUR: Sugarcane growers of Khairpur district on Sunday announced to intensify their campaign against sugar mills.
A meeting of the Growers Action Committee, Gambat and Sobhodero talukas, decided to join hands with the growers of other areas of Sindh and continue stopping supply of sugarcane to the mills till Jan 16.
The meeting was held on Saturday in Gambat and was presided over by Fida Hussain Abbasi.
The growers also decided to stage a sit-in on the National Highway on Jan 16.
The meeting decided to invite the MPAs and MNAs of the area to participate in the protest.
Later, scores of growers blocked the National Highway at the Gambat bypass and stopped over 60 trucks and tractor-trolleys, supplying sugarcane to the mills. Representatives of the action committee threatened to take action against vehicles, carrying sugarcane from Ghotki to Naushahro Feroze.
