Sindh and Punjab mills begin sugarcane crushing

Twenty-one sugar mills have commenced their crushing season, while the remaining mills will start crushing within couple of days. According to sources, the growers have started harvesting of cane following the issue of indent to sugar mills and the cane have started arriving at mills gate.
Four out of five mills in Thatta district - Dewan, Shah Murad, Jhoke Sharif and Lar Sugar Mill, have started crushing operation on Monday evening as they have issued indent to growers on Sunday while Al-Asif Sugar Mills' crushing operation delayed due to technical fault and expected to start by tomorrow (November 3).
In Badin district all sugar mills have started their crushing operation during the last two days. Following the complaint of slow harvesting and poor arrival of sugarcane at mills, the Faran
Sugar Mills after two hours crushing operation stopped, declaring no cane while the management of Sindh Abadgar Sugar Mills held meetings with the cane growers and offered a package to growers for ensuring the supply of cane to sugar mills.
When contacted, Sindh Cane Commissioner Nazar Muhammad Baloch told Business Recorder that the news about the start of crushing operation in Badin and Thatta districts has been confirmed while information about operation by other mills is still awaited.
About slow harvesting of sugarcane he said sugarcane production has recorded a shortfall with the result cane harvesting has been slow and there are apprehensions that the sugar production would also record a shortfall.
PUNJAB: Meanwhile, a spokesman of Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) has said that as per commitment, between PSMA and the Federal government, the sugar mills in Punjab have started crushing on November 1.
In a press statement here on Monday, the spokesman said that the mills have started crushing as per commitment, despite the fact that arrival of sugarcane was at the lowest ebb as compared to the capacity of the sugar mills.
He pointed out that the slow pace of arrival of sugarcane to the sugar mills was causing loss to the mills, as the growers were yet busy in disposing of the other crops, like rice and cotton.