Majority of the sugar mills in Sindh province would not be able to light up their boilers at the stipulated time (November 15), the third deadline issued by the provincial government for commencing of crushing season, as the growers are unwilling to sell their crop to the millers at announced price of Rs 101 per maund.
Only three sugar mills can start the crushing process and three others have decided to start the season from November 13 (Friday) while 26 sugarcane processing units are unable to comply with the government orders for starting the crushing season 2009-10, due to unavailability of crop, sugar millers told Business Recorder on Thursday.
"A sugar mill required 15 days, huge quantity of furnace oil and workforce for starting the sugar processing unit (process also known as "heating up" the boilers) and it is not possible to begin the season in view of unavailability of sugarcane to the already ignited sugar factories, the millers said, adding that the government should restrict the growers for ensuring a constant supply to the mills."
They said Tharparkar Sugar Mills, Digri Sugar Mills and Mityari Sugar Mills had started the crushing, while Sanghar Sugar Mills, Mirpurkhas Sugar Mills and Al-Abbas Sugar Mills may start crushing from Friday (November 13).
Mehran Sugar Mills, Al-Noor Sugar Mills, Sindh Abadgar Sugar Mills, Habib Sugar Mills, Faran Sugar Mills, Ansari Sugar Mills, New Dadu Sugar Mills, Naudero Sugar Mills, Army Welfare Sugar Mills, Sakrand Sugar Mills, Shahmurad Sugar Mills, Dewan Sugar Mills, Sehri Sugar Mills, Al-Asif Sugar Mills, Tando Muhammad Khan Sugar Mills, Larr Sugar Mills, Ghotki Sugar Mills, Pangrio Sugar Mills, Mirza Sugar Mills, Bawany Sugar Mills, Najma Sugar Mills and Dewan Sugar Mills, Badin are yet to start crushing season.
Talking to Business Recorder, Qurban Ali Shah president Sugarcane Growers Association (SGA) said the federal government had approved a 70:30 formula to facilitate the millers, but has failed to devise a mechanism for providing relief to the growers of the crop. The growers would never sell the sugarcane at Rs 101 per 40 kilogram if the manufacturers refuse to supply the commodity at Rs 36/kg, he added.
"It is a great injustice that the millers are selling their product in the wholesale market at Rs 60/kg to Rs 80/kg in the province and demanding from the growers to provide sugarcane at Rs 101 per maund, the grower said, adding that the government should also announce the support price like 70:30 formula for providing the maximum relief to the crises-hit growers." The growers would not sell the crop below Rs 160/40 kg to Rs 180/40 kg, Qurban Ali Shah maintained.
He said like every year, this year again the sugar mill owners are willing to start the crushing season by violating the "Sugarcane Act 1948" under which they are bound to commence the season before October 15 for the cause of maximum recovery. "It is peak recovery period, but the growers would not offer the crop at much lower rates," he added. Despite the repeated attempts, Abdul Wajid chairman Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) Sindh-Circle could not reached for comments.