HYDERABAD, Dec 9: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim on Thursday accused growers of blackmailing sugar mills to gain maximum price for their produce.

He said he had not issued any warning to sugar mill owners because it could lead to a shortage in the country which had now become self-sufficient in sugar.

He was talking to a group of journalists at the residence of MPA Dr Irfan Gul Magsi, who recently joined the Pakistan Muslim League-F, before leaving for Sann. The chief minister said he was disappointed to note that growers were demanding Rs60 to Rs65 per maund of sugarcane, notwithstanding the fact that he had assured them that he would get them Rs43 per maund besides the premium.

He claimed that some mills had offered Rs48 to Rs50 per maund owing to competition, with the result that growers put on hold supply of their produce to mills. He said he himself had kept a margin of one month after fixing Oct 1 for starting sugarcane crushing as he knew that mills would engage in a fight with the government.

He said when mills owners complained that sugarcane was not being supplied to them due to recent rains, he also did not force them to continue crushing. He observed that the mills could not pay the high price the farmers demanded for their produce that was why they suspended crushing.

He said there were reports that in Thatta and Badin, rice was cultivated late which also affected cultivation of sugarcane. He added that in other districts, sugarcane was harvested on time but farmers of these areas too avoided supplying their produce to mills for want of maximum profit. He said sugar mills had offered good prices to growers after seeing increase in prices of sugar from Rs19 to Rs21.

"Growers are now blackmailing mills so why should I become a party in the matter. But I have given certain directives to the Sindh cane commissioner. That's why I did not intervene in the issue and did not give any warning," he said.

Dr Rahim said he had directed cane commissioner Nazar Mohammad Baloch to conduct an exercise regarding fixation of minimum and maximum prices for sugarcane. He added that neither growers nor mill owners would be allowed to increase or decrease the price fixed by the government.

He said if there was a need to make legislation or take an administrative action in the matter it would be done. He said the cane commissioner would check the prices, weight of sugarcane and recovery of dues and irregularity on part of growers would also be looked into.