LAHORE, July 14: The next crushing season would be started late because of the surplus sugar, having serious repercussions for the growers in the country.

This was stated by Pakistan Sugar Mills Association Chairman Javed Kayani in a press statement here on Monday.

He said the next season would start after the full exhaustion of the stocks.

He said the sugar industry was regulated and it could not make commercial decisions to produce sugar according to domestic consumption. It had not made surplus sugar by choice and in fact this was a result of a legislative constraint.

Mr Kayani said the sugar industry was saving $1 billion foreign exchange by substitution of import. In view of the surplus, it was likely to default Rs12 billion out of which a significant component comprised payments to the growers.

He said since considerable time had elapsed the only immediate solution was the purchase of the surplus stocks by the government through the Trading Corporation of Pakistan.