Farmers decry exploitation as sugar mills delay cane purchase, demand Rs600 per maund

By Commerce Reporter

LAHORE: The Pakistan Kisan Ittehad (PKI) has strongly criticized the government’s indifference toward the growing crisis faced by farmers, demanding fair crop prices and timely procurement, particularly of sugarcane and wheat.

Read also: Raja Pervez Ashraf urges unity, calls for emergency relief for flood-hit farmers

Talking to media persons, PKI Central President Mian Umair Masood, joined by Captain Hussain TJ and Chaudhry Nasrullah, thanked the media for amplifying farmers’ concerns but lamented that “the farmer stands drowning in a sea of troubles while the government remains indifferent.”
He said sugarcane fields across the country were ready for harvest, yet sugar mills had not begun purchasing. “Last year, when sugar was priced at Rs120–130 per kilogram, mills bought cane for Rs400–500 per maund. Now sugar sells at Rs210–240 per kilogram, but farmers are still denied a fair rate. This is blatant injustice and economic exploitation,” he asserted.

Masood demanded that the minimum support price for sugarcane be fixed at Rs600 per maund, ensuring farmers receive due compensation for their hard work.

He also raised alarm over the sharp decline in cotton production, stating that the country produced only 9 million bales this year against an expected 13.5 million, marking a shortfall of 3.8 million bales. The cultivated area, he added, has shrunk from 3.2 million acres to just 2 million acres, while per-acre yield has dropped to a mere 10–15 maunds.

“These figures reveal how poor governance and flawed agricultural policies have crippled the cotton sector,” Masood said, adding that imported cotton now benefits foreign growers while local farmers bear the losses.

Turning to wheat, the PKI chief slammed the government for fixing the support price at Rs3,500 per maund, despite production costs ranging from Rs4,000 to Rs4,500. “For the third consecutive year, the government has failed to procure wheat from farmers, leaving them at the mercy of the private sector,” he said.
Masood urged the Prime Minister and Chief Minister of Punjab to revise the wheat price to Rs4,500 per maund and ensure direct government procurement. He further suggested folding subsidy allocations into the wheat price to curb corruption and guarantee that the benefit reaches farmers directly.

Criticizing the Punjab government’s Rs10,000 flood compensation, he called it “a joke” compared to actual losses, demanding an increase in line with current wheat rates to ensure genuine relief.

“If farmers are not given fair prices, they will be unable to plant wheat next season,” he warned. “If farmers stop plowing their fields, the nation’s bread will stop too. The media must continue to raise the farmer’s voice because their prosperity is Pakistan’s self-reliance.”

Meanwhile, Chaudhry Nasrullah accused the Fatima Group of Companies of supplying substandard seeds, demanding immediate compensation for the affected farmers. He said he had approached various forums, including the Chief Minister’s Complaint Cell, but no action had been taken. “The Complaint Cell informed me that my issue had been resolved — but in reality, nothing was done,” he added.