Sugarcane growers shifting to other crops due to exploitation
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The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Sunday said continued exploitation of sugarcane growers can result in food security issue in Pakistan.
Growers disappointed by the attitude of the sugar mills and lack of action by the federal and provincial governments are switching to other crops including maize which can make Pakistan a sugar importing country.
Growers are not getting notified price while delayed payments, exploitation by middlemen, weight assessment problems etc. has left cultivators with no option but to find alternatives which has resulted in reduced area under cultivation, said Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President PEW.
He said that Sindh government recently fixed price of 40 kg sugar cane at Rs 155 while the price in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa was Rs 182 which indicates their soft corner towards millers and indifference towards rights of growers.
This was an act to transfer Rs 25 billion from growers of Sindh to the influential sugar mills lobby, he said, adding that sugar millers in Punjab never paid over Rs 155 per 40 kg to farmers violating the notified price.
Reason behind delayed payments is to push farmers to sell their produce to the agents of millers on throwaway prices, which is impossible without help of local authorities, he noted.
Government figures show that area under cultivation has declined to 5.2 percent on national level hitting production by two million tonnes.
A cut in the under cultivation area of 9.6 per cent has been recorded in Punjab which hit production by 9.1 percent, according to the official statistics.
The situation on ground must be different, said Dr. Murtaza Mughal, adding that immediate measures must be taken to sooth the disappointed growers to save country from another crisis.
