BADIN, Nov 23: A large number of sugarcane growers have stopped supplies to mills located in the Badin district in protest against the government’s failure to raise its price to Rs60 per maund.

Five sugar mills in the district have seen their cane supplies dwindle in the wake of this stoppage. The price is currently fixed at Rs43 per maund. A total of six mills operate in the district.

Earlier, the sugarcane growers organisations, had warned that they would stop supply of their cane production to mills if the industry did not agree to a price between Rs55 and Rs60 per maund.

Most of the growers, including small cane cultivators, have started implementing the threat. At least five sugar mills suspended their operations and not a single truck emerged out of their premises on Thursday.

The virtual stoppage of sugarcane was scheduled to start from Friday.

The sugar mill owners and their management have resisted their demand, claiming that their profit was only marginal and in case of an increase in cane price, the mills would face losses.

The millers reportedly were not prepared to negotiate with the cane growers or any other authority. They are said to prefer keeping their mills non-operational than purchasing the cane at a high price demanded by the growers.

The cultivators, on the other hand, have warned that they would not resume their supplies to mills unless a raise in price is announced.

They say that the rate offered to them (Rs43 per maund) is nominal and unjustified. The Pakistan Sugar Mills Association has “played a joke” with the agriculturists, they add.

“Even the fire wood is being sold at Rs42-45 per maund. Can it be justified for the PSMA to put the two commodities in equal valuation?” they ask.

The growers Irfan Gujar, Haji Khalid Mehmood Ghuman, Khalifa Ghulam Mustafa Kalhoro and others contend that the sugar mills derive profits two or three times more than their cost and the mill owners’ contention that they suffer losses “does not hold water.”

The mills reportedly closed included Ansari Sugar Mills, Bawani Sugar Mills, Mirza Sugar Mills, Pangrio Sugar Mills and Army Sugar Mills. Only Fauji Sugar Mills was reportedly operating on Friday.

The district Badin cane growers, specially small growers have accused the Fauji Sugar Mills of purchasing cane at a higher price from big growers and neglecting the small cultivators.