| Mills ask govt to import raw sugar,cane growers oppose move |
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| Written by Harris Badar | |
| Saturday, 18 October 2008 | |
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src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> However, sugarcane growers have strongly condemned any possible import of ... KARACHI: Predicting a shortfall of more than 300,000 tonnes in sugar production from the domestic sugarcane the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) has asked government to take measures for the import of raw sugar. However, sugarcane growers have strongly condemned any possible import of raw sugar calling it injustice with the growers. “It is wrong and we will oppose it,” said Qamar-ul-Zaman Shah, Chairman Sindh Chamber of Agriculture. PSMA spokesperson in a statement on Friday said the crushing season would take momentum in the first week of December, but the growers said it should have been started in the month of October and they were ready for it. PSMA secretary general Sindh zone said during upcoming season 2008-09 crop of sugarcane was expected short by approximately 20 to 30 per cent as compared to the last year. In the province of Sindh a total of 16.7 million tonnes of sugarcane was crushed last year for producing more than 1.5 million tonnes of sugar. He said the short crop of sugarcane would require import of raw sugar for conversion by sugar mills into refined sugar to curtail the high cost of import of refined sugar. Processing of raw sugar would only be viable during crushing season to avoid costly fuel. It is necessary that government move quickly to arrange import of raw sugar so that it reaches by mid-December, 2008. “If it is delayed, the price of sugar may go up and beyond the purchasing power of the common man,” he said. He said lack of irrigation water and shortage and high prices of fertilizer were the main reasons behind shortage of the crop. He said the sugarcane crop was still immature and the weight as well as sucrose contents were likely to be at a lower level. The spokesperson said the harvesting of cane would only be done by growers when they can get reasonable weight of their produce and it is likely that crushing season in Sindh, which normally starts during second or third week of November may be further delayed due to non-harvesting by growers. Eid-ul-Azha will be observed during the first week of December and only then harvesting is most likely to gain momentum by that time. Growers have rejected PSMA claims of immature crop of lower sucrose contents. Contrary to that, Qamar ul Zaman Shah said any delay would cause severe damage to the crop and it would go dry and lose weight. He said the growers were ready for the harvesting and there is no chance of low sucrose as crop was mature with an age of around one year. Shah warned that policy of the sugar mills in delaying the crushing season and asking the government for import of raw sugar would create troubles for them as growers would switch over to other crops. “We will grow BT cotton, sunflower and wheat,” he said. He said the sugar mills have not payed more than Rs1.3 billion dues to the growers. He said there was some shortage in the crop, as growers were discouraged by the policies of the millers, but still crop was enough to cater to the local demand. |
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