HYDERABD: The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) has expressed concern over the fact that sugar mills do not pay the price of Rs160/40kg for sugar cane as was fixed by the Sindh High Court (SHC).

A SCA meeting chaired by Syed Shah Nawaz Shah, chamber’s senior vice president, observed that sugar mills were procuring sugar cane at the rate of Rs130/40kg. It urged the judiciary to take notice of the violation of this order. It said farmers were facing a difficult situation during the ongoing sugar cane crushing season.

The meeting observed that farmers were suffering huge losses as their crop was being purchased at a very low price, adding that sugar millers were exploiting sugar cane growers. The meeting was informed that due to belated harvesting of sugar cane in Sindh, the sowing of wheat crop was badly affected.

Given the situation, the meeting feared that productivity of the wheat crop would also be affected. It said the sugar mill mafia was not ready to obey the court orders as well as government’s directives. After repeatedly challenging the writ of government, sugar mills were not complying with court’s orders. It urged judiciary to ensure implementation of its orders for payment of Rs160/40kg sugar cane.

The meeting asked the Sindh government to finalise a plan for procurement of wheat and distribution of gunny bags among growers so that corruption in distribution of bags could be stopped.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2018