LAHORE (January 03 2004): Former Chairman Pakistan Sugar Mills Association and sitting Executive Committee member of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) Ch Zaka Ashraf has said that the government was focusing 'extra-ordinarily' on wheat and cotton while ignoring the commodity like sugar for export purposes.

According to a press release issued here on Friday, Zaka was talking to a group of sugarcane growers and sugar industrialists.

Referring to the latest report of the State Bank of Pakistan wherein future estimates have been given that the wheat production would touch around 22 million tonnes at the end of the year that would enable the government to export it, he said it is deplorable that the government was investing all of its energies in dealing with the assumptions on wheat and cotton, ignoring the cash crop like sugarcane and its finished form of sugar that is held surplus in the country for more than two years.

According to him, the country is facing shortage in both cotton and wheat. Shortage has been due to the failure of the government to control pest attack on cotton as adulterated pesticides have played havoc with this crop, especially in Rahim Yar Khan area.

Zaka suggested that the government should rely on phrase 'One in hand is better than two in bush', and focus all its energy on exporting the surplus sugar from the country.

Both the sugar industry and the sugarcane growers are, as a matter of fact, facing trouble even today due to the wrong policy of importing surplus sugar from India by the policy makers, he said.

Courtesy Business Recorder