HYDERABAD, May 21: The Sindh Small Growers Association (SSGA) has demanded the payment of arrears to sugarcane growers as ordered by the Sindh High Court.

The president of the association, Dewan Aru Mal, and general secretary Ghulam Mustafa Laghari said that the price of sugarcane for the season 2002-3 was fixed at Rs43 per 40kg in a meeting of sugar mills owners, growers and government representatives.

They said the growers in lower Sindh were paid Rs40 per 40kg and in upper Sindh Rs36 per 40kg. They were also denied the payment of quality premium as ordered by the Sindh High Court.

They said that Dadu and Thatta sugar mills owed millions of rupees to the growers. They claimed that in addition to these arrears, the mills have to pay Rs240 million surcharge as trust which had not been paid to growers for the last ten years despite the decision of the Sindh cabinet.

They said that the sugar mill owners insult and humiliate the growers when they contact with them for payment. They said that the mill owners were forcing the growers to receive their outstanding dues in the shape of fertilizers and sugar at higher rates.

The leaders alleged that the big landlords were getting huge benefits from the government and the mill owners. They appealed to the Sindh government to ensure the payment of outstanding dues to the small growers amounting to billions of rupees and take action against the mill owners.

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