Mills bound to start cane crushing from Nov 1

HYDERABAD: Sindh Cane Commissioner Imtiaz Ali Shah has warned that strict action will be taken against those sugar mills which do not start sugarcane crushing from Nov 1.

He was speaking at a sugarcane seminar organised by Faran Sugar Mills in Tando Mohammad Khan on Tuesday.He said the sugar mills were bound to start the crushing from Nov 1, otherwise action would be taken under the Sugar Control Act.

In order to increase the cane production, new varieties of sugarcane were being introduced, he said. Increased production would benefit farmers and mills.

He said the sugar industry of the province depended on cane production. He, however, regretted that only a few sugar mills of the 29 in Sindh were cooperating with the growers for increase in the produce.

He extolled Faran Sugar Mills for launching a comprehensive programme to introduce new varieties of sugarcane.

The previous government had harmed the sugar industry of the province, but the present government had taken a number of steps to save and protect the industry, the cane commissioner said.

He urged growers to pay attention to the development of agriculture by increasing sugarcane production.

Speaking on the occasion, director of Faran Sugar Mills Ahmed Ali Bawani said the development of sugar industry was fully dependent on the increase in the production.

Role of growers could never be ignored in the process, he said.

Former director-general of Sindh Agriculture Haji Khan Keerio said increase in the production of cane was dependent on the improvement of soil.

The visit of President Zardari to China and the agreement signed between the two countries on cane production would go a long way in the development of agriculture sector of Sindh, Keerio said.

General manager of the mill Riaz Javed Solesi, agriculture experts Dr Afzal and Agha Mashooq Ali also spoke at the seminar.

Later, talking to reporters, the cane commissioner said Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah had resolved the issue of starting crushing season in consultation with the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association and growers organisations.

He said the sugar mills would light their boilers from Oct 15 to start the process.

source: dawn