LAHORE, Nov 1: Delay in crushing season will cost farmers Rs5 per 40kg cane for its weight loss, and the government must ensure that millers start cane crushing before Nov 10.

The demand was made by the executive committee of Farmers Associates Pakistan (FAP) here on Thursday.

It said the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) had backed out of its commitment to start crushing from the first week of November. That would definitely give rise to a crisis for growers.

The FAP committee said the agriculture department had also confirmed that the cost of sugarcane production in the province was Rs65 per 40kg. The delay would cause a weight loss in cane, which would cost the farmers Rs5 per 40kg during current season.

It observed that owing to increase in acreage and timely rains, the sugarcane production went up by around 20 per cent, which necessitated its harvest, supply and sale smoothly to sugar mills.

The FAP body demanded that now the government must ensure start of cane crushing by all mills before Nov 10 as per their commitment.

The price of cane in Punjab must be brought on a par with Sindh since the recovery of sugar in most parts of Punjab was equal to Sindh.

The government should ensure timely payments to growers and Cane Proceeds Receipt (CPR) be declared as a negotiable instrument under the Banking Companies Act, it said.