LAHORE: The Sugarcane Control Board (SCB) on Friday has directed all the sugar mills of the province to purchase Sugarcane Variety Jhang-59 (NSG-59) from the growers at the notified price fixed by the government for the current crushing season 2022-23.

Sources said that some mills were purchasing the abovementioned variety and some were declining due to being a non-approved variety. Those who were purchasing the variety were making deductions in the price.

The Board met under the chairmanship of Cane Commissioner Punjab Hussain Bahadur at the Punjab Agriculture Department and discussed the issue with the representatives of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) and growers. However, the Board observed that the variety is neither banned by the Cane Commissioner Punjab for cultivation in line with Section 14-A of the Punjab Sugar Factories (Control) Act 1950. But some sugar mills were buying the said variety while some were refraining to buy it.

Sources said it was emerging a big issue, especially in Rahim Yar Khan area, where mills were making illegal deductions too. The Cane Commissioner some days back had asked the district administrations to depute special teams at the mills gate across the province to curb the tendency of making illegal deductions.

The Board, however, unanimously adopted a policy for the current crushing season directed that all the sugar mills in Punjab should purchase the above said sugarcane variety at the notified price fixed by the government.

The Cane Commissioner later through a notification directed all the district administrations to ensure that all sugar mills should purchase the said variety at the notified price fixed by the government.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022