04 January 2004	Sunday	11 Ziqa'ad 1424

BADIN, Jan 3: Sugar mills of the district, except the Fauji Sugar Mills, are expected to complete the crushing target in the current season.

Talking to this correspondent on Friday, the Mirza Sugar Mills general manager Abid Hussain said the mill has crushed 2.4 million maunds of sugar cane with an average crushing of 85,000 maunds daily.

He said it produced 7,000 metric tons sugar with 9.0 plus recovery. He said the supply could be reduced and would reach at the zero point by Feburary following cane crops had been hit and lands damaged during devastating rains and subsequent floods in the coastal area.

Mr Hussain said the sugar mill had also sustained huge losses during the rains as it was located in the coastal belt.

Ansari Sugar mills general manager Syed Karimullah Qadari said the crushing season was in full swing and average recovery was 9.5 plus.

The mill has crushed 1.3 million sugarcane which has more than the last years.

He said mill sustained a loss of Rs6 crore last year due to non-supply of quality cane.

He also complained that the CBA union was pressurizing the mill management for payment of two crore rupees bonus while the mill was operating under the Ehtesab Court and a receiver had been appointed. He said the receiver was not willing to accept the demand.