No crushing started as yet: Cane Commissioner files cases against five sugar mills

The Cane Commissioner Sindh has filed cases in the civil court against five sugar mills for not starting crushing or not intimating his office regarding commencement of operations, sources told Business Recorder on Friday. Under the Sugar Factories Control Act, the Cane Commissioner can file cases in civil courts for the delay which attracts one-year imprisonment or Rs 100, 000 fine or both.
Sources said the Can Commissioner has served notices to sugar mill owners thrice for not starting crushing in their respective mills as per the notification issued by the provincial government. The government had issued notification asking the mills to start crushing from November 1, 2011.
Industry sources said nine sugar mills have started crushing which are Tharparkar Sugar Mills, Sanghar Sugar Mill, Matiari Sugar Mill, Faran Sugar Mill, Khairpur Sugar Mills, Kiran Sugar Mills, Ranipur Sugar Mills and Naudero Sugar Mills. The Sindh government has fixed the price at Rs 154 per 40-kg against last year's Rs 127.
They said sugar mills situated in rain-effected areas of Sindh including district Nawbshah and Badin would start crushing by the end of December. Sharing the details of sugar production in 2010-11, Deomal A Essarani, Chairman Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) Sindh Zone said that 84 odd sugar mills produced 4.1 million tons of sugar.
Sindh produced 1.3 million tons, Punjab 2.5 million tons while Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa (KPK) 0.250 million tons of sugar. Meanwhile, growers have denounced sugar mill owners for not staring crushing season as yet. They said due to delay in cane crushing growers will suffer enormous financial losses.