LAHORE (February 27 2004): Farmers Associates Pakistan (FAP) has demanded of the government to take immediate steps to safeguard the interests of sugarcane growers.

Briefing the newsmen after 98th extraordinary meeting of FAP held here on Thursday Muhammad Idrees, Chief Organiser FAP said that sugar mills owners were exploiting the sugarcane growers.

Sugarcane purchase process was very slow and most of the sugar mill owners were paying a price of Rs 20 to Rs 35 as against Rs 40 fixed by the government for 40-kg's sugarcane.

In some areas, sugar mills owners were forcing cane growers to take back sugarcane.

The participants of the meeting warned that if sugar mills owners failed to mend their ways, sugarcane growers would be compelled to prepare 'Gurr' through sugarcane instead of providing the same to sugar mills.

About on going wheat crop, Idrees said that over all wheat crop situation was satisfactory but at this stage it was not possible to predict the production of wheat crop.

"It is unfortunate that the government is importing substandard wheat from Australia at the rate of Rs 570 per maund but not willing to pay proper price of wheat to local wheat growers", he said.

He said that wheat growers were not responsible for on going wheat flour shortage crisis.

The participants of the meeting appreciated various measures taken by the government to provide relief to potato growers.

Addressing on this occasion, Rana Qasim Noon Provincial minister for agricultural marketing said that the government was trying its best to improve the agriculture marketing system so as to increase exports of agricultural commodities.

Courtesy Business Recorder