ISLAMABAD: The centre on Thursday directed provinces to resolve problems confronting farmers – especially sugarcane growers who have not been paid their dues by provincial authorities and mill owners.

In a meeting with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Minister for National Food Security Syed Ayaz Ali Shah Sherazi apprised the premier that authorities and millers in Sindh were not paying the notified rate fixed by the government to cane growers.

The prime minister said that although the issue of sugarcane growers fell in purview of the provincial government, the federal government and the federal cabinet have taken serious notice of the issue.

“Provinces should fulfil their responsibilities and ensure timely purchase of crops and payment to the growers according to the notified rates,” Mr Abbasi said.

Sugarcane was once considered Pakistan’s most important cash crop but with the passage of time there has been a great shift in the relationship between farmers and mill owners. The interests of farmers are largely neglected by millers.

There are a host of problems for sugarcane growers at all stages, including environmental damage by mills dumping toxic and untreated pollutants into rivers or the Arabian Sea.

During 2014-15, Sindh’s Agriculture Supply and Price Department prescribed the minimum price of sugarcane at Rs182 per 40 kg, vide notification dated April 7, 2014. This annoyed millers who compelled the Sindh government to issue another notification, fixing the minimum price of sugarcane at Rs155 per 40kg.

Interestingly, a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday discussed the issues of cane growers.

The federal cabinet, while showing its concern, directed the provincial governments to fulfil their responsibility towards ensuring prompt payments at notified rates to the farmers by the millers immediately.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2018