- Advertisement -
MULTAN, Nov 25 (APP): Kisan Ittehad President Khalid Mehmood Khokhar warned that sugarcane growers across Punjab and Sindh are facing significant financial losses due to the low procurement prices offered by sugar mills. Speaking at a press conference, he stated that while farmers’ production cost is Rs453 per maund, mills are paying only Rs400, leaving growers with a loss of Rs53 per maund.
Khokhar highlighted that farmers in Punjab are collectively suffering losses amounting to Rs396 billion, while growers in Sindh are facing losses exceeding Rs234 billion. Despite government assurances, he pointed out that sugar mills in Sindh have not yet begun crushing, and only a few mills in Punjab have initiated limited operations.
The situation has become so dire that many farmers have resorted to burning their standing sugarcane crops, unable to even recover their production costs. He also noted that wheat, cotton, vegetable, and potato farmers are facing heavy losses due to poor market mechanisms and rising input costs, including fertilizer, seeds, diesel, and labor.
The Kisan Ittehad leader criticized political parties for uniting over their own interests while neglecting the welfare of farmers, who he emphasized are essential to the country’s food security. He demanded that the government immediately set the sugarcane support price at Rs600 per maund and implement a clear pricing policy for the next season to prevent further collapse of the agriculture sector.