LAHORE: The farmers have urged the Punjab government to ensure immediate commencement of the sugarcane crushing season, warning that delays by sugar mills could cause financial losses to growers and adversely affect the timely cultivation of wheat.
Speaking at a press conference at the Lahore Press Club, Pakistan Kissan Ittehad Central President Khalid Mahmood Khokhar said the farmers were facing serious difficulties as sugar mills had yet to begin crushing operations. He criticised the government for holding meetings on an issue that, according to him, should have been resolved two months ago.
He said sugarcane growers needed to sell their produce to arrange finances and prepare land for the next crop, particularly wheat. Any further delay in crushing would disrupt the crop calendar and make it difficult for farmers to shift to wheat cultivation within the prescribed period.
Khokhar said fertilizer prices, particularly those of DAP and urea, had increased substantially, adding to the financial burden on growers. While the government was emphasizing the availability of cheaper sugar for consumers, it was ignoring the economic interests of sugarcane farmers.
“Consumers should get sugar and flour at affordable prices, but why farmers pay the price through economic exploitation?” he questioned, calling for end-to-end deregulation of the sugar and sugarcane sectors.
He claimed that sugarcane cultivation had increased by 16 percent this season and sugar production was expected to rise by 26 percent. However, the delayed commencement of crushing, coupled with labour-related challenges expected in the coming months, could create further complications for growers, particularly with Ramazan approaching.
The Kissan Ittehad president said farmers had stood by the country during difficult times but were now facing uncertainty and financial distress. He also criticised the delay in sugar exports, saying the failure to take timely decisions had adversely affected both farmers and the national economy.
He maintained that timely exports could have helped manage surplus sugar stocks without requiring export rebates. Referring to the 2017-18 season, he said the failure to export sugar at the appropriate time had resulted in financial losses for sugarcane growers. Khokhar said the production cost of sugarcane was approximately Rs550 per maund, while the newly fixed price was Rs700 per maund. He stressed that farmers were not seeking subsidies but a fair price for their produce.
He also questioned the government’s approach towards agricultural policy, arguing that delayed decisions were causing avoidable losses to the farming community. He appealed to the authorities, with folded hands, to ensure that sugar mills started crushing operations without further delay.
Another farmers’ leader, Asif Mahmood Kanju, said the national economy could not grow without a functioning agricultural sector. He observed that farmers’ produce supported market activity and business operations, but growers were currently facing severe difficulties.
The farmers’ representatives urged the government to take immediate and practical measures to resolve the issue, warning that any further delay in the crushing season could affect wheat sowing and aggravate the financial difficulties of sugarcane growers.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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