DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The members of Aiwan-i-Zaraat (Chamber of Agriculture) on Thursday demanded that the government should ensure the price of sugarcane at Rs400 per 40kg and end unfair monopoly of owners of the sugar mills.

The monthly meeting of the chamber was held under the chairmanship of its president Haji Abdul Rashid Dhap to discuss issues being faced by the farming community of the region. The meeting called on the government to guarantee that the price of sugarcane would remain at Rs400 per 40kg, which the administrations of the sugar mills had unlawfully and arbitrarily dropped to Rs350 per 40kg.

They said that the sugar mills’ managements were harassing landowners (zamindars) and farmers. “The district administration should play its role and stop this exploitation,” they demanded. The participants stated that due to a decrease in crop production, income had fallen, so agricultural taxes should be waived.

The meeting demanded that the repair of the Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRBC) at Juma Head in Tehsil Prova, which was damaged by the August 2022 floods, be started as soon as possible so that the flow of water could be restored to irrigate the fields to their fullest extent.

The meeting was informed that on December 19, an agricultural fair would be held at the Ratta Kulachi Research Centre to give access to farmers and landowners on latest agricultural information.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2024