RAHIM YAR KHAN: Sugarcane farmers from the district met Punjab Cane Commissioner Zaman Wattoo during his visit on Friday and informed him about the problems, including refusal of the mills to purchase sugarcane varieties of 56-Jhang and 84.

Various participants in the meeting, including Rais Ahsan Abid advocate, said they had complained to the cane commissioner that all five sugar mills of Rahim Yar Khan were not paying them dues on time, causing financial difficulties for them.

The farmers complained to the commissioner that before the start of crushing season, the sugar mills had provided the farmers with the seed varieties of 56 Jhang and 84 but they refused to purchase these varieties when the crop was ready.

The farmers told the commissioner sugar mills in Sindh were purchasing sugarcane at the rate of Rs250 per maund but in Punjab, the sugar mills were purchasing sugarcane at Rs225.

They said that on a yearly basis, the farmers had the right of quality premium against their sugarcane from the sugar mills but they were not receiving the quality premium amount for the last many years.

The farmers said a big issue of their community was the wrong use of the road cess amount in the specific sugarcane producing areas, adding that the mill owners were also politicians and parliamentarians and they were using the amount for their political motives.

Advocate Abid claimed that the commissioner had appointed him as officer provincial inspection on sugarcane and measurement points.

He said Mr Wattoo had also assured the farmers that he would issue the notification of restoration of tehsil and district farmer committees dissolved by the provincial government two years back.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2022