The Badin district, known as ‘sugarcane state’, is observing delay in crushing as mill owners have failed to abide by the rules of the provincial government.
According to reports, the growers said that the sugar mills were owned by the influential families that have created a monopoly and were exploiting the small growers. The mills of district including Army Sugar Mills, Mirza Sugar Mills, Kadhan, Pangrio Sugar Mills, Dewan Sugar Mills, Khoski, Bawani Sugar Mills, Talhar, Ansari Sugar Mills and others were facing delay in crushing as the December is likely to end.
Earlier the provincial government has announced to fix the sugarcane rate Rs 182 per 40 kg while the mill owners were not interested to buy the sugarcane from middle man on the rate of Rs 150 or 160 per 40 kg.
Small growers were suffering very much as delay in crushing season which may harm their crop and they often find it much difficult to meet the season of the crops harvesting. On the other hand, labourers who earned daily wages were also succumbed of an anxiety and worried for their survival as mills were not started on time which also directly affected the routine business of the district.
On the occasion, small growers including Comrade Noor Muhammad Panhwar, Syed Muhammad Ali Shah, Zafar Ali Shah, Ramzan Khaskheli and others have demanded of the higher authorities for starting the mills on emergency basis and to protect the growers from unrest and strife.
