Farmers in Sindh are facing severe problems because sugar mills are slow in buying sugarcane. (SCA) The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture has asked the provincial government to take strict action against the mills for delaying cane procurement.
During a meeting in Hyderabad, SCA members said sugar mills have reduced sugar production on purpose, which has slowed down cane buying. Farmers demanded that the price of sugarcane should be increased to Rs600 per 40 kilogram so they can cover their farming costs.
The meeting was led by Dr Syed Nadeem Qamar, who warned that wheat production in Sindh may fall again next season. He said last year wheat output dropped by 32 percent because farmers could not clear their land on time due to delayed sugarcane lifting by mills. He stressed that farmers will only grow wheat if they receive fair prices.
Dr Qamar demanded that the wheat support price should be fixed at Rs5,000 per 40 kilograms and that the government should raise its wheat buying target to 1.5 million tons.
Farmers complained that only about 25 percent of the sugarcane crop has been harvested so far. Thousands of tractor trolleys loaded with cane are waiting outside sugar mills for days. During this delay, sugarcane dries out, and mills later reduce prices by saying the quality has fallen.
The farmers also raised concerns about water shortages. They said water rotation is still continuing in canals from the Sukkur Barrage even though it was supposed to end earlier. They also criticised poor repair work in the Nara and Rohri canals.
In addition, farmers showed concern over the sharp fall in tomato and onion prices and asked the government to allow exports immediately. They also urged the government to support local farmers to reduce the country’s heavy imports of edible oil.
Date growers from Khairpur also complained that they have been suffering losses for the past four years due to export restrictions. The meeting ended with a strong call for the government to protect farmers and ensure fair treatment for Sindh’s agriculture sector.
