IT has been reported in the press that the Punjab government has fixed the minimum purchase price of sugarcane for the 2012-13 crushing season at Rs170 per 40kg or Rs425 per 100kg. It merits a mention that the support price of sugarcane has remained a point of contention between the sugar mills and the farmers for years.

The resultant sugarcane shortage due to confrontation between sugar mills and the farmers had badly affected consumers and the industries. The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is, therefore, requested to follow suit and fix the support price for the coming sugarcane crushing season (2012-13) on the pattern of Punjab, keeping in view the increase in the cost of production of the crop at an early date.

It may be added that the sugarcane crop has almost attained maturity and growers have started producing gur (molasses) in sugarcane growing areas of the province. It is, therefore, time the minimum support price for the sugarcane 2012-13 season was fixed and also arrangement was made for starting the sugarcane crushing season.

KHAN FARAZ      Peshawar