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HYDERABAD, Nov 7: The Sindh Abadgar Board at a meeting held here on Friday expressed concern over the reduction in sugarcane price and said it was for the first time that the price had been slashed.
The meeting pointed out that the US, the European Union and other developed and developing countries had increased subsidy rates for their agricultural and industrial products with a view to meeting challenges of the World Trade Organization.
However, it said under a conspiracy, the agriculture sector of Pakistan, which catered to the needs of 82 per cent population of the country, was being destroyed directly or indirectly.
The meeting regretted that support price of sugarcane had been reduced notwithstanding the fact that the cost of production— including fertilizer, tractors, agriculture machinery, seed, diesel, petrol, pesticides and transportation— had been increased by 60 to 140 per cent.
The meting appealed to the president and provincial governments to resolve the issue of sugarcane price by reducing the general sales tax on sugar by 50 per cent and fixing
the sugarcane price at Rs45 per 40 kilograms.
In this way, it said, the sugar mill owners would start their mills on time and there would be no confrontation between stakeholders.
As a result, wheat crop would also be sown on time, the meeting maintained.
It reminded the government that even the court order of payment of Rs43 per 40 kgs of sugarcane and quality premium to growers had not been implemented till date.
The SAB demanded that arrears of growers amounting to Rs2.24 billion should be recovered under the Revenue Act.
It also appealed to growers to switch over to cultivation of sunflower and other oil-seed crops to get rid of blackmailing of sugar mill owners and to make the country self-sufficient in edible oil. It was also necessary in the wake of acute shortage of water, waterlogging and salinity, the SAB observed.
The meeting appointed a committee, headed by Umer Farooq, to make a decision about the issue of sugarcane price.
SAB president Abdul Majeed Nizamani presided over the meeting.
SIDA: The managing-director, Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (Sida), Rafique Safi Mushey, has said that the reformation programme of irrigation is a transition from one system to another, which is not that easy.
He was delivering his presidential address at a two-day training workshop organized by the Social Development Cell of Sida for the field team of social organizers.
He said that concerted efforts were required for the success of the system.
He said that the social cell of Sida was working for the improvement of the irrigation system.
On the first day of the workshop on Friday, 15 social organizers attended the training.
Hashim Memon, Ghaus Leghari, Ismail Khaskheli and Muneer Mangrio in their presentations said that long-standing disputes, including water disputes between 150 farmers’ organizations within the Nara Canal Area, had been dissolved amicably.
They said that during the month of October, 40 farmers organizations had been provided guidance in respect of the preparation and recovery of water bills.
They said that survey was also being conducted in respect of development works of the National Drainage Programme.
