HYDERABAD, Dec 10: The federal government is responsible for creating artificial shortage of water, closure of sugar mills and reduction in prices of crops.

This view was expressed by small growers while speaking at a conference on “problems of growers and their resolution”, organized by the Sindh Small Growers Association (SSGA) at the press club here on Monday.

The growers decided to launch a protest movement against what they called anti-growers policies of the government.

Speaking at the conference, SSGA president Arumal said growers of Sindh were being destroyed economically.

He said 27 sugar mills of the province, which had to start the crushing season from Oct 1, were still lying closed.

He rejected the argument of owners of sugar mills that they had sustained huge losses.

He pointed out that sugar mills of Punjab and NWFP had started the crushing season one month back.

Referring to prices of sugarcane, fixed by the government at Rs43 per 40kg, Arumal said growers would suffer losses to the tune of Rs8 billion due to low prices of sugarcane.

The president of the Sindh Water Committee and chief of the Awami Tehrik, Rasool Bux Palijo, praised efforts of the SSGA for advocating the cause of the farming community.

He said politicians of Sindh had always harmed the cause of the province.

He said the rulers had intentionally withheld the water supply to Sindh and accused them of economically destroying growers.

Palijo said the rulers had destabilized prices of sugar by importing this commodity from abroad.

Sindh Water Committee general secretary Abrar Kazi said 80 per cent of the population of the province had been directly affected due to the shortage of water.

He said the president of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association, Sindh chapter, had told him that 300,000 tons of sugar was lying unsold in mills and the mill owners were prepared to dispose of the surplus sugar at a loss, provided they were given relief in taxes.

He criticized the federal government for reducing prices of agricultural produce.

He appealed to the Sindhi people to unite on one platform to launch a joint struggle for their rights.

Former MNA Arbab Wazir Ahmad Memon alleged the office-bearers of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture and the Sindh Abadgar Board had become spokesmen for the government.

He urged the SSGA to raise the voice of growers of the province.

RESOLUTIONS: The conference demanded compensation for losses caused by artificial shortage of water, suspension in recovery of land revenue, water charges and other taxes, and payment of dues outstanding against sugar mills.