A possible delay in cane crushing by sugar mills beyond November 1 may affect wheat sowing as a big chunk of farmland holds the standing crop.
The irrigation water, which could otherwise be used for wheat sowing, will be consumed by the sugarcane crop, awaiting harvest.
Growers will suffer because sowing in November gives better yield than cultivation in December. So far, a formal notification regarding the date of commencement of crushing has not been issued by the Sindh government. Cane support price has not been fixed either.
Reports indicate that Punjab has fixed Rs170 per 40kg of cane. Sindh’s cane price is fixed at a higher rate because of its higher sucrose recovery.
Farmers’ representatives at a meeting held in first week of October with Sindh agriculture department and Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) were given to understand that crushing will start from November 1. This seems very unlikely in view of past experience. Only Matiari sugar mill has so far started crushing on October 18.
After harvesting paddy, cotton and sugarcane, farmers go for the wheat crop. They emphasise timely crushing of cane primarily for two reasons. First, farmers cultivate wheat on lands they use for sugarcane or cotton crops in Kharif. Land that produces paddy has higher water table—and if not dried- it affects germination of wheat. It needs time to get dried.
Farmers are asking for higher wheat support price as, they maintain, that prices of inputs have increased substantially. Urea’s price has increased by 26 to 27 per cent last year. The Sindh government is said to be working on a support price of wheat at around Rs1,100 or so against last year Rs1,050 per 40kg. In the open market, according to chakki owner Hanif Rajput, a 100- kg wheat bag is being sold at Rs3000 or Rs1200 per 40kg.
Farmers argue that international price of wheat is going up and they should be compensated accordingly.
“That’s why we say that either current international price of wheat or increase in cost of inputs should be the yardstick by government for fixing support price. For instance, prices of urea have increased up to Rs1700 from Rs1100 in a year.
Same is the case with cost of diesel and fertiliser. And these are vital components of farm sector for increasing per acre yield”, argues Abdul Majeed Nizamani, president Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB).
Usually, farmers take credit through formal and informal sources at the time of sowing. They remain vulnerable to market manipulation.Many growers avoid using pesticides and inputs like urea and DAP for lack of funds.
Farmers’ bodies have been demanding Rs1200 to Rs1300 per 40kg support price of wheat this year. The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) has even gone to the extent of supporting wheat sowing boycott call from Punjab-based Agri Forum Pakistan in protest against inappropriate support price. Some farmers consider oilseed production a better option as they don’t get support in case of wheat from the cash-strapped government.
“The FOB rate of wheat for Black Sea region was $260 per ton in October 2011 but in third week of last month it was $320 per ton”, contends Nizamani while fearing that if government did not fix Rs1200 support price wheat will be smuggled to regions hit by lower production.
SCA general secretary Nabi Bux Sathio says wheat is being sold in the market at Rs1180 per 40kg. By the time this year’s wheat crop is marketed prices will rise to Rs1500.
Millers and cane growers’ row over crushing season is witnessed every year with the government looking the other way. For the past four years, the government has been announcing the date for crushing in November although as per Sugarcane Factories Control Act crushing has to start in October.
Sugarcane loses weight once harvested but increases sucrose content on the other hand which benefit millers.