Keeping in view the demand of the growers and protests by the farmers, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali has increased minimum price of sugarcane from Rs155 to Rs182 and urged sugar mill owners to start crushing.
Addressing a press conference at CM House on Sunday, Qaim Ali Shah said the price of sugar cane which was reduced from Rs 182 to Rs 155 per maund has been re-fixed at Rs182. This decision has been taken on the public demand, he said.
The chief minister who was flanked by Senior Minister for Education Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and Minister for Agriculture Ali Nawaz Maher in the press conference said: “The prices of agricultural inputs have increased considerably, therefore the agriculture department, in consultation with the growers and sugar mill owners, has fixed the sugarcane price at Rs182 per maund but the mill owners challenged it in the court and it was reduced to Rs155 per maund but this was not accepted by the public. Now it has been re-fixed at Rs182 per 40 kg.”
The chief minister urged the sugar mill owners to start crushing and start purchasing sugarcane.
Replying to a question, Qaim Ali Shah said the support price of wheat has been fixed at Rs1250/ per maund. “Last year it was Rs1200 but this year due to increase in the prices of inputs, it has been increased by Rs50. Therefore, it comes to Rs1250 per 40 kg,” he added.
To yet another question, the CM said one million tons of wheat was lying in the godowns of Sindh government. Similarly, about three million tons of wheat was in the godowns of Punjab but the federal government allowed its import, he added.
He also disclosed that the traders had imported substandard wheat which was not fit for human consumption. “We have taken up the issue with the federal government because it is a provincial subject,” he said.
The chief minister said the Sindh government was giving a subsidy of Rs 4.5 billion on wheat. “The purpose is to shoulder the burden of poor people so that they can have atta (flour) on a reasonable price,” he said.
