Sugarmills in Sindh province will light up boilers of their units from November 1, it is learnt. Officials in Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) Sindh-Circle told Business Recorder that the process of sugar production in Sindh would start from November 1. They said that mills' sugar stock has completely exhausted and the millers have decided to start crushing as soon as possible.
However, Sindh Agriculture Department is yet to announce support price for crushing season 2010-11, they said, adding that Punjab government has decided sugarcane procurement price at Rs 125 per 40 kg. Last year, the government had increase support price from Rs 81 per 40 kilogram to Rs 101 per 40 kg, but the growers charged up to Rs 280 per 40 kilogram from sugar mills due to shortage of crop, they said.
They said there would be increase of 0.15 million tons of sugar this year due to increase in area of sugarcane crop cultivation as compared to last two years. This year sugar production is expected to be 1.25 million tons with increase of 0.15 million tons, sources added.
They said that sugar millers would not pay marking fee to Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA). They said the matter is still pending before Sindh High Court (SHC) and there would be no licensing of Sugarmills and marking charges from millers this year. They said Sugarcane Factories Act 1950 should be revised due to significant climate change. Now, the sugarcane crop could not get mature in first week of October and due to global warming and climate change, they said.