Daily Times

The Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) on Sunday expressed profound concerns over non-payment of their outstanding dues of sugarcane supplied to millers last year and no notification by the Sindh government on new prices of sugarcane.

Reportedly, they were further irked as no steps have been taken for the new crushing season despite passage of first week of October.

SAB President Abdul Majeed Nizamani held an emergent meeting in which a large number of growers were present.

The meeting observed that despite the government had fixed rate of sugarcane at Rs160 per 40 kilos, the millers were not allowing more than Rs130.

Even the amount of the reduced rate was not paid to growers, causing severe financial crisis for them and their families.

The meeting further briefed that the agriculture department was not paying due attention to such issues.

SAB representatives were informed that last year mill owners had started crushing season in December instead of October, which has completely dried up standing sugarcane crops and many fields could not be vacated for sowing wheat crop.

Later, growers decided not to continue cultivation of sugarcane for reasons that their crops were not lifted by mills in due time and non-payment of proper cost.

Published in Daily Times, October 8th 2018.