KARACHI: The Government of Sindh has decided to begin sugar mills crushing season for year 2019-20 in the province from November 15.
The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by provincial Minister for Agriculture Muhammad Ismail Rahu.
The meeting attended by concerned officers, representatives of Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) and sugarcane cultivators discussed the issue of fixing sugarcane price and opening date for the upcoming crushing season.
The representatives of sugarcane cultivators and sugar mills owners briefed the meeting about their points of view with regard to fixation of the cane price.
Agriculture Minister said that the sugar mills in Sindh will start their crushing season from November 15 and the mills have been issued directives for it.
Ismail Rahu said that the government will fix sugarcane price for the season after consultations with representatives of growers and sugar mills owners.
The growers and sugar mills owners remained in a constant dispute for last several years over the issue of fixation of cane price, long delays in release of payments to growers and clearance of liabilities by factory owners.
Sindh government for at least last five years has been fixing the sugarcane price at Rs182 per 40 kilogramme, while growers reject it outright on the ground that it is not enough even to meet their cost of production. The mill owners while claim that the rate of Rs182 per 40kg is not viable when they add cost of certain taxes to their ex-factory price.
