ISLAMABAD, Dec 14: Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind has said that all-out efforts would be made to solve the problems of the sugarcane growers.

He was presiding over a meeting of sugarcane growers and Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) here on Saturday. Secretary food and agriculture and senior officers of the ministry also attended the meeting.

The meeting was informed that only seven out of the 27 sugar mills were operative in the Sindh province. The chairman PSMA explained that these sugar mills were also in crisis, as they had some leftover stock of 175,000 tons of sugar, which was lying pledged with banks, and the banks were providing them working capital.

The minister took a serious view of the issue and advised its immediate settlement. He said the government would arrange financial support for export of one lakh tons of sugar. He said the forming community and the sugar industry were inter- dependent. He also assured taking up the issue at the higher level for its solution.