Daily Times

Sir: The sugarcane growers have stopped cutting their cultivated crop and some growers have also stopped supplying their produce to sugar mills in district Badin due to the government’s failure to raise its price. Meanwhile, small growers of the area are selling their produce to big growers at rates ranging from Rs 150 to 152 per 40 kilogram instead of the rate of Rs 182 per 40 kilogram, which was fixed by the government. The small growers are selling their sugarcane crop at such a low rate to the big landlords because the sugar mills are not buying the small quantity of the sugarcane from them and they are under enormous pressure to pay for the fertilizer and seeds purchased by them on short term credit. The big growers have meanwhile set up procurement points to purchase the produce standing in the fields from small landowners in the district. On the other hand, according to a report, the sugarcane cultivation in the district was less this year compared to last year. Farmers cultivated sugarcane on approximately 80,000 acres of land in the previous year in Badin but it was reduced to only 50,000 acres this year. Through your newspaper, I request the Sindh government to pay attention to the problems of farmers of sugarcane and take necessary measures to ensure that the crop is sold at the rate of Rs 182 as set by the government.

SHAHID AHMED QURESHI

Badin