Is Pakistan willing to live without Sugar?
Sugar mills decide to stop crushing sugar cane in response to court's decision that asks to pay them > Rs 170 per 40 kg. So, sugar cane farmers do not have any buyers anymore for their newly-harvested sugar-cane. This has caused them to stop harvesting any more sugar-cane. Our corporate mafia is all set to boost its profits even if it destroys the livelihood of all farmers. Here is what will happen now. Farmers will burn their crops & stop cultivating sugar-cane any more. This will lead to a shortage in 3 years & increase in price of sugar. It will also cause the sugar mills heavy losses when they won't be able to find enough sugar cane to maintain enough output. They will compensate for this by inflating the price of sugar in 3 years. The farmers who mostly have a heavy burden of debts are already on the verge of bankruptcy. We have created a pro-corporate culture where corporate manipulation takes priority over our systemic infra-structure. In spite of receiving billions of rupees worth of subsidy & export incentives, sugar cane mills mafia owned by Zardari & Shahbaz is killing our agriculturist. I think the best solution of the problem we face today is that the court asks the sugar mills to arrange for transport of the sugar cane from the fields to their mills if it does not wish to pay a price equivalent to Rs 172. Sugar cane farmers are paying Rs 40 per 40 kg on transport. If the government takes responsibility for transportation or asks the sugar cane mill owners to bear the burden of this price then that would give both parties a workable solution. Otherwise, we continue to face a crisis that will destroy #Pakistan's sugar-cane economy.
Dr Fariya Bukhari, MD
Chairperson
Pak Islam Party
Dr F Bukhari, MD is a writer/poet/activist/politician/physician/scientist/philanthropist/producer/journalist/defense analyst & strategist. She is interested in politics, peace, innovation, and volunteering. She is working for education, liberation & empowerment of the under-privileged. She is also involved in politics trying to bring a palpable change at Pakistan's political level that ensures protection of masses against human rights violations, injustice, corruption & terrorism.
