DI KHAN: Sugarcane growers from various parts of the district held protests and blocked Chasma-Dera road here on Friday.
A number of sugarcane growers continue demonstrations against the management of local sugar mills due to the delay in the start of crushing season and a reduction in the crushing price.
They were chanting slogans against the management of local sugar mills. The protesters led by Haroon Awan and Malik Abdul Razik were holding placards inscribed with slogans for resolving their problems, saying that these protests would be extended if the concerned authorities did not take any action to protect the due rights of growers.
They demanded of the provincial government to direct the mills’ management to fix Rs 180 for 40 kilograms as farmers were already facing financial problems and were hardly meeting daily household expenditures within their meagre resources.
They were of the view that the district administration was applying delaying tactics as no serious action against the unscrupulous elements had been taken as yet and that these forces were exploiting poor farmers by such tactics.
The growers alleged that mill owners had mollifying intentions to delay the crushing season as they wanted to force farmers to sell their cash crop at a throwaway price.
They said that if the local sugar mills did not start the crushing timely and did not increase the price for 40 Kg sugarcane then protests would be held at all parts of the district to safeguard the due rights of the farming community.