10 sugar mills in Punjab issued notices for failing to start crushing

LAHORE: As many as 10 sugar mills in Punjab have been issued show-cause notices for failing to begin crushing by 15 November in violation of the government notified schedule. Taking strict notice of the lapse, Cane Commissioner Punjab Amjad Hafeez initiated action under Section 21 of the Punjab Sugar Factories Control Act, 1950.

According to the sources in Cane Commissioner office the defaulting mills include Ashraf (Bahawalpur), Baba Fareed (Okara), Tandlianwala-I (Faisalabad), Tandlianwala-II (Muzaffar-garh), Sheikhu (Muzaffar-garh), Kashmir (Jhang), Seven Star (Nankana Sahib), RYK (Rahim Yar Khan), Pattoki (Kasur), and Chanar (Faisalabad).

According to the official notice, mills are legally bound to start operations within the timeframe set by the government which states that “the occupier of a factory shall start crushing of cane not later than a date specified by the government which shall not be later than 30th November.” The notice further reminds mill owners that they were “specifically required to start crushing of sugarcane with effect from 15th November, 2025, and to ensure that there is no delay in commencement of the crushing season.”

The Cane Commissioner emphasised that the Lahore High Court has already “upheld and affirmed the authority of the government of the Punjab to fix the date for commencement of crushing leaving no lawful justification or excuse for non-compliance by any sugar mill.”

Punjab: sugar mills to begin crushing on 15th

Despite these directives, several mills not only failed to initiate crushing but also misrepresented their status. In one instance, the notice states that a mill claimed to have begun crushing, “whereas reliable reports and field inspections reveal that your mill had not in fact started crushing. This conduct amounts to clear misrepresentation as well as deliberate and wilful defiance of lawful orders.”

The notice highlights the hardship caused to growers, noting that harvested cane is drying in the fields, “resulting in loss of weight, reduction in recoverable sugar content and causing direct financial loss and hardship to the growers.”

The delay has also obstructed wheat sowing which may “adversely impact productivity and contribute to shortages at the provincial and national level.” Under Section 21, non-compliance is punishable with a fine of up to Rs5 million per day, the sources said. The millers have also been asked to appear before the cane commissioner on 26th November to clarify the situation.

The Punjab government has reiterated that it will ensure strict implementation of the crushing schedule and warned that further defiance will lead to stronger punitive action.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025