Sugar industry: PSMA castigates former ICCI president's statement

LAHORE: Commenting on the statement by a former President of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI), Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) has alleged that perhaps ICCI former official had no knowledge of rural economy neither probably he has visited farms and seen the agricultural crops.

Former ICCI President had said that the government is unnecessarily promoting the sugar industry and the sugarcane crop.

PSMA spokesman said that the farmers grow sugarcane because they get more money. Sugarcane crop promotes the rural economy and transfer of capital from the urban areas to rural and backward areas. It is only possible when sugar mills are established there has been remarkable improvement in socio-economic conditions of the poor segment of the society.

The spokesman of PSMA said that we are not opposing the plantation of cotton crop rather we support that all crops should get proper share as it is available on the demand and supply basis. Farmers are growing sugarcane, cotton, maize, rice and all type of crops.

Secondly Shahid Rasheed Butt does not understand the subsidy is not demanded by sugar industry rather this subsidy is passed on to the sugarcane growers because minimum support price of sugarcane is announced by government and the sugarcane is purchased under Cane Purchase Receipts (CPRs). Whereas no other crop is having the minimum support price neither any of crops like cotton, wheat, maize, rice or pulses. No CPR is issued on other crops. The spokesman of PSMA said we want that government should get away with this support price mechanism of sugarcane also and let it be based on the market forces to be adjusted with international price of sugar on daily basis.

The spokesman said that there is dire need to work on the research and development of sugarcane crop so that farmers can get better yields, recovery and disease free cane would be possible to compete with the rest of the world as the rest of the world is doing the same. Therefore, no export subsidy would be required to compensate the farmers. He said this year cotton growers are dis-hearted because their yield has been around 10 maunds an acre. There was heavy pest attack on cotton crop and due to these heavy losses to farmers next year more cotton growers are bound to shift towards other crops which can give them good return.

The spokesman of PSMA denied no present or past government supported the sugar industry by going out of the way.-PR

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