PESHAWAR: The sugarcane growers from various districts of Peshawar Valley staged protest demonstration here on Tuesday against the mills owners for delaying the crushing season.

The demonstration was held outside Khazana Sugar Mills on Charsadda Road. Holding banners and placards, the protesters chanted slogans against the mills owners and provincial government.

The growers demanded of the government to direct mills owners to start crushing season immediately and increase price of 40 kilograms sugarcane from Rs180 to Rs300. Former provincial minister Hafiz Hashmat and leaders of sugarcane growers association led the protest rally.

Sugarcane, a cash crop, is grown in Peshawar, Mardan and Dera Ismail Khan divisions. Total six sugar mills -- two in Peshawar and Mardan and four in Dera Ismail Khan -- are operating in the province. Dera Ismail Khan is the largest sugarcane growing region in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Addressing the protesters, Advocate Israrullah said that mills owners in connivance with the provincial government were exploiting thousands of farmers by delaying crushing season in the province. He said that farmers were suffering financially and mentally because of the delay. He said that sowing season of wheat had also delayed in the region. He said that farmers should complete sowing of wheat by November 25. “Farmers in Peshawar region have yet to start sowing wheat that would affect yield. Majority of the farmers might not be able to sow wheat,” he added.

Hafiz Hashmat said that sugarcane crushing season was supposed to be started from November 1. He alleged that government was protecting interests of the mills owners by not fixing rate of the sugarcane. He said that mills owners had planned to delay crushing season to force farmers to sell their cash crop at throwaway price.

The sugarcane growers decided to assemble at Jinnah Park on Thursday to hold protest demonstration if government did not accept their demand. They said that they would proceed to the provincial assembly building and then go to chief minister secretariat. Farmers from other parts of the province would also be brought to Peshawar to take part in the protest.

Meanwhile, delay in crushing season has also worried farmers in Dera Ismail Khan. Aiwan-i-Zarrat, farmers association, president Abdul Rashid told Dawn that they had taken up the matter with director food and deputy commissioner and asked them to fix rate of sugarcane and start crushing.

He said that farmers were given subsidy in India while mill owners victimised them in Pakistan. “Both owners and the government are hand in glove,” he said, adding that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was waiting for Punjab to fix rate of the sugarcane.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2017