Daily Times

Sugar. The sweetener word brings sour taste to one’s mind when people come across the word. Reason? The sugar industry has long been a story of exploitation in our part of the world. For consumers, it is another item with soaring prices. For sugarcane farmers, it has low and delayed payments.

This imbalance has deep roots as every sugar mill owner is powerful elite who dominates has the power to manipulate the market for personal gain.

Every year, at the end of the season, we learn that there are abundant sugar reserves. Soon, artificial shortages are created through hoarding and speculative trading. These practices drive prices up. Consumers are forced to pay more. Meanwhile, farmers who grow the essential crop receive minimal benefits. They endure delayed payments, low rates, and poor government oversight. This exploitation reflects the structural inequities in the sugar sector.

Recently, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued directives to curb tax evasion and hoarding. Measures like monitoring sugar mills through cameras, ensuring GST collection, and cracking down on tax fraud are crucial. But these steps alone won’t address the plight of farmers. Without fair pricing for sugarcane, the root cause remains unaddressed.

Sugarcane prices are set far below what farmers deserve. While mills and dealers enjoy hefty profits, growers struggle to cover production costs. If sugarcane farmers are neglected, the entire agricultural cycle suffers. Farmers switch to less labour-intensive crops or abandon farming altogether. This not only impacts sugar production but also destabilises rural economies.

Exporting surplus sugar is often presented as a solution to boost the economy. But when the focus shifts to exports, domestic farmers and consumers pay the price. The government must prioritise ensuring fair rates for farmers before allowing exports. Subsidies for farmers, timely payments, and transparent policies can create a more sustainable balance.

Protecting farmers is not just an economic necessity but a moral obligation. The sugar industry cannot thrive by exploiting the very people who make its existence possible. Ensuring fair sugarcane prices would reduce the cycle of exploitation, stabilise production, and bring relief to consumers.

The sugar sector is critical to Pakistan’s economy, but it needs reform. Farmers deserve better, and their contributions must be valued. The government must act decisively to support them, hold sugar mills accountable, and break the cycle of exploitation. Only then can Pakistan’s sugar industry truly flourish. *