KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday directed owners of sugar mills in the province to procure sugar cane from growers at Rs160 per 40 kilograms.

Headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, a division bench was hearing the matter pertaining to the dispute between cane growers and sugar millers over the official price of the crop.

On Tuesday, the counsel representing sugar mills said that they could not purchase sugar cane at a price higher than Rs155 per 40kg.

The growers’ lawyer, however, argued that the mill owners had earlier offered to them the rate of Rs162 per 40kg.

He requested the court to ensure that millers purchase it on the rate which they had offered earlier.

When the lawyers of the two parties got into a heated argument, the court intervened and asked them exercise restraint.

The Sindh chief secretary submitted in court that the provincial government was taking plenty of measures for the betterment of growers.

“The Sindh government should find a solution,” Justice Abbasi remarked.

The court fixed cane price at Rs160 per 40kg and directed the growers and the mill owners to follow this price strictly. It put off the matter to a date in office.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2018