Daily Times

Due to not paying the arrears of Rs 36 billion to sugarcane growers in Sindh by the sugar mills since 2014-15, the growers of sugarcane are passing their lives in extreme difficulty.

Affected sugarcane growers have appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan, and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to take serious notice and direct the Sugar mills to pay their dues.

Growers also appealed to PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to direct Sindh government for taking notice against sugar mills in Sindh protect the growers of Sugarcane from financial crises.

President Sindh Abadgar Ittehad, Nawab Zubir Ahmed Talpur has said that Sugar mills in Sindh have not paid the arrears of amounting 36 billion rupees to the sugarcane growers in the province since the years of 2014-15.

Speaking with this correspondent, he said that the arrears of 36 billion rupees were remaining to the 34 functional Sugar Mills in Sindh since the 2014-15.

He said that growers of Sugarcane were facing huge loss and crises as the Sugar mills were not ready to pay their arrears. He said that most of growers of Sugarcane have left to cultivate the Sugarcane crop due to victimizations of Sugar mills owners in Sindh. he speaking on the following current situation of crises of Sugar , he said that day by day, cultivation of Sugarcane crop was reducing in Sindh due none adopting the proper policy in agriculture department by Sindh government and victimizations of sugar mills owners. He said that Sugarcane crop cultivation was 7.5 million acres in Sindh but as soon as, the Sugar mills owners had stopped to pay their arrears of supply of their sugarcane to the growers, it cultivation of Sugarcane crop reached till 0.5 million acres land in Sindh with current position.

He said that in the Sugarcane crushing season of year of 2018-19, the sugar mills owners had to start mills in the month of November but they delayed deliberately and started crushing of sugarcane in the month of January which had caused a big loss to the sugarcane growers in Sindh as their million maunds of Sugarcane was dried up which was stocked at field and before the Sugarcanes. He said that the cultivation of Sugarcane was reducing and production of Sugar was also reducing in Sindh.

He said that the production of Sugar in country was 5.2 million metric tons and it was full consumption of people in country as they had no need to import the sugar from other countries. He said that earlier Sugar production was remained surplus in country and Sugar mills had exported it but with current status, it causes more crises. He said that Sugar mills had earned 6 rupees and 50 Paisa on per kg but they were not ready to pay the dues to the growers. He quoting an example of corruption, he said that in crushing season of 2017-18, the Sugar mills had started crushing in January instead of November . He said that it was asked that if any Sugar mill will not start it crushing of Sugarcane in November, the subsidy will not be released. He said that at that time cane commissioner Sindh had made fake certificates that sugar mills had started crushing of Sugarcane in November and billion rupees subsidy was released. He said that 6.5 billion rupees subsidy was released, 2 billion rupees in the head of transport charges 500 million rupees were released in the head of tax rebate to the sugar mills in the year of 2014-15.

He said that 8.5 billion rupees subsidy was released to the Sugar mills and rate of purchasing of Sugarcane was fixed 182 rupees per maund but Sugar mills paid 162 rupees per maund of Sugarcane to the growers in the crushing season of 2015-16. He said that 10.5 billion rupees subsidy was released by the central government of Nawaz Sharif and 4.5 billion rupees were released by Sindh government to the Sugar mills in the year of 2017-18. He said that in Sindh province, not a single Sugar mill was started in the month of November but all were started in the month January and they had purchased Sugarcane on rupees 160 per maund from growers. He said that Sindh government issued a notification to purchase sugarcane as 182 rupees but they purchased on rupees 160 per maund of sugarcane and crushing was started in December month in the year of 2018-19. He said that since 1998, the 44 billion rupees also were not paid to the growers from the head of quality premium. He said that before 1998, the payment was released to Sugarcane growers in the head of quality premium for the 19 years.

He said that it was mafia in every governments those had influenced hence the growers of Sugarcane were facing losses of billion rupees and sugar mills were earning meagre amount. He appreciated Prime Minister Imran Khan to take serious notice against Sugar mills Mafia.