Lahore: Rana Iftikhar Muhammad, Chairman of Anjuman-e-Kaashtkaran Punjab, has expressed concern over unpaid dues to sugarcane farmers, despite the upcoming crushing season being just two months away. He stated that these payments can only be made if the federal government permits the export of the entire surplus sugar stock. If the government does not approve the export, farmers will be forced to protest, he warned, reported The Nation.
Rana Iftikhar shared these views during a meeting with the Chairman of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (Punjab Zone).
He said that delayed payments against sugarcane were a high-priority issue because farmers constitute a vital part of the economy of the nation. When other crops are posing hurdles one after another, sugarcane is one of the few crops which provide an opportunity for farmers to earn profits. He also slammed the governmental lethargy against ensuring the export of more quantity of surplus sugar, stating that the upcoming crushing season was at the threshold but still, the stores of the mills are filled with unsold sugar. Farmers estimate that next year’s crop could result in an additional 1.5 million tonnes of surplus sugar.
The Chairman of the. Pakistan Sugar Mills Association, Punjab Zone, lauded Rana Iftikhar for standing up for the cause of the farmers. He informed that the sugar industry also respects the feelings of the farmers. He said the sugar export, which the government delayed, had allowed only 0.1 million tonnes to be exported after which it stopped the process altogether. “This is making the preparation for the next crushing season more and more difficult,” he complained.
Rana Iftikhar said that farmers and the sugar industry were united on one page but it is a unanimous decision that if surplus sugar is not exported then farmers will protest on the road.
