Unauthorised agents, middlemen: PSMA seeks action against purchase of sugarcane

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) has urged the government to take notice of the purchase of the sugarcane by unauthorised agents and middlemen.

In a written letter to the Cane Commissioner Punjab, the PSMA said the sugar industry of Punjab had been requesting the higher authorities in Punjab Government, including cane commissioner to take action against illegal purchase by unauthorized agents/middlemen.

In this context, the letters sent to Chief Secretary, Punjab No PSMA/2021/CS/PZ, dated November 18, 2021 and December 4, 2021, are attached as ready reference, the letter further said.

The PSMA has also been taking up this issue in various meetings from time to time with the chief secretary and the Secretary for Food. “Every time we were promised, but a little attention has been given to this important aspect.”

The chairman PSMA Punjab Zone called on Secretary Food, Government of Punjab, twice in the recent past and discussed this serious issue personally. All these efforts indicate that the sugar mills have always made their best effort to eliminate unauthorised purchasing agents/middlemen.

A very strange thing to be noted in para 2 of your above referred letter is that:-“This is being done, prima facie, with the connivance with the connivance of the sugar mills staff as sugarcane is supplied by such middlemen in large quantities as compared to the normal supplies of the genuine growers. Such large supplies cannot be made without the active collaboration of the mills staff/management.”

It is essential to point out that Punjab sugar mills do not purchase sugarcane from the unauthorised purchasing agents/middlemen.

Sugarcane purchased by unauthorized purchasing agents/middlemen is being transported to other provinces and being heavily utilized. This has created a shortage of sugarcane for Punjab mills, thus giving rise to sugarcane prices.

This is what we have been pointing out to the government, higher authorities and to yourself from time to time but unfortunately, no effective measures could be taken at your end to stop this illegal practice. The same is now being attributed to Punjab mills without any evidence or any justification.

In view of the foregoing, we would like to once again request you to please identify unauthorized purchasing agents/ middlemen and take effective measures in order to stop this illegal practice and instead of pressurizing the Punjab sugar mills, save the growers and sugar mills both from suffering colossal losses. We have already indicated that higher prices of sugarcane by any reason result in high price of sugar. We hope to have positive and practical steps from your side.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021