The Farmers Association of Pakistan (FAP) has lauded the government for taking action against the cartel of sugar mill-owners and hoped that it would go a long way to discourage negative tactics to grab undue profit. FAP chairperson Rabia Sultan said on Tuesday that the farming community lauded the efforts of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for realising "cartelization" of sugar mills. She said the plight of the sugarcane growers itself confirms that sugar mill-owners do not miss any opportunity to exploit them. Rabia said: "The cartels always tried to crush the growers through various tactics, such as delayed payments, under-weighing of sugarcane, tempered weigh bridges.
The FAP chairperson said the millers were themselves responsible of wrong doings that pushed them in grey area. She reminded that in 1947 only two sugar mills were functional in the country and "now that number has gone up to 74, which clearly indicates that the sugar industry is a viable and growing industry in Pakistan."
Rabia maintained that sugar millers travel hundreds of miles into another mill area to buy sugarcane but they hardly make timely payments to the farmers. She said the millers' humiliating attitude and shortage of water were the reasons of bad times for the stakeholders of sugar sector.
She reminded the sugar millers that their short-sighted policies would never work to benefit any of the stakeholders of sugar sector. Rabia stressed the need of consistent policies, which could ensure level playing field to all the stakeholders of the sugar sector.
The FAP chairperson demanded of the government to take appropriate steps to ensure effective working environment for the sugar sector.
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