Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) regional chairman on horticulture exports Ahmad Jawad has urged the government to allow sugarcane export "Sugarcane is a cash crop and Pakistan ranks 5th in the world in sugarcane production," Ahmad Jawad said, while taking to a delegation of Sindh Agriculture Chamber, here on Monday.
He said, "Punjab and Sindh are leading producers of sugarcane, only Punjab contributes about 68 percent of the total sugarcane production." Appreciating the efforts of agricultural scientists, he suggested that specially designed machinery be introduced for the benefit of farmers.
Jawad further said that a major part of sugarcane is crushed at farm level to produce 'gur,' 'shakkar' and brown sugar. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is a traditional 'gur' making zone of the country. KP not only make 'gur' for domestic use but also for export to Afghanistan, he added. He further said that the farmer can earn 57 percent more profit by making 'gur' than selling the sugarcane to sugar mills.
He also said that sugar industry is the second largest agro based industry in Pakistan comprising 86 sugar mills, where over 50 million tons of sugarcane is crushed annually. He said the gur-making process has been an important cottage industry of Pakistan. He requested the Commerce Ministry to formally allow sugarcane export so that farmers could earn good return.