Kinnow, sugarcane growers urge government to ensure compliance of fixed rates

SARGODHA: The kinnow and Sugarcane growers have demanded authorities concerned to ensure payment to the farmers according to already approved government rates.

They said that government has fixed Rs 800 rate of per 40 kilogram kinnow and Rs 180 rate of per 40 kilogram Sugarcane while processors were ignoring instruction of the district administration.

The farmers were being paid lesser rates of their products as Sugar mill owners giving Rs 160 and also deducting amount from payment while Kinnow processors were paying lesser rates to the orchard holders, a  grower Muhammad Qasim said.

The notifications regarding rates of both crops have already been issued by the administration; they said and added that processors/factory owners should ensure compliance of rates so that farmers’ rights could be protected, he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that rates of kinnow have been fixed after consultation with the growers association and factory owners while rate of sugarcane were also fixed by the growers and mill association in a meeting in presence of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sargodha Liaqat Ali Chatha.

The farmers have also announced protest over receiving lesser rates and demanded the concerned quarters to pay attention towards their demand.

The farmers said that supply of sugarcane to mills would be regularized after provision of approved rates otherwise protest will be held till finalization of rates.

The Deputy Commissioner said that implementation on government decided rates will be ensured in any case and farmers’ rights will be protected.