Punjab sugar mills kick off crushing season, sugar prices expected to fall
Business
Punjab’s 41 sugar mills have begun crushing after government pressure. Fresh supply is expected to cut sugar prices by Rs10. Farmers accuse mill owners of delaying crushing to buy cheap sugarcane.
LAHORE (Dunya News) – All 41 sugar mills across Punjab have finally kicked off the crushing season after the provincial government issued strict notifications and pushed mill owners to get the ball rolling.
According to the Cane Commissioner’s office, the remaining 12 mills in Lahore have now started buying sugarcane from farmers and begun crushing.
With fresh supplies about to hitthe market, officials expect sugar prices to drop by up to Rs10 immediately, offering some relief to consumers who have been feeling the pinch for weeks.
Officials say the timely start of crushing will help put an end to black-market sales and artificial shortages that had been making matters worse for buyers. Earlier, the Cane Commissioner had warned of action against mills that failed to begin crushing within the government’s deadline.
Meanwhile, Kisan Ittehad Chairman Khalid Bath accused mill owners of deliberately delaying operations to buy sugarcane at cheaper rates, saying farmers are once again being pushed into a corner.
