Pakistan has no shortage of sugar as per the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA). The association has rejected speculations regarding a looming threat of sugar shortage in the country. PSMA spokesman said that presently, sugar mills were not operating at their full capacity.
He added that some people in the market were reportedly putting pressure on the retailers to sell imported sugar instead of locally produced one as they wanted foreign sugar to circulate in the market.
The spokesperson further said that farmers are yet to completely harvest sugarcane.
He also highlighted that at the moment farmers were harvesting the cotton crop in southern Punjab to make room for sowing wheat.
Alternatively, farmers in central Punjab are harvesting rice and corn crops he noted.
He said, “After completion of harvesting of these crops, farmers will start picking sugarcane”.
As per the spokesperson, sugar mills were making efforts to sell locally produced sweeteners in the market to make sure that there is timely disbursement of payments to the farmers.
He added that the industry had warned the government that if sugar mills operated ahead of the scheduled time, then the segment would face mammoth losses as a result of sugarcane shortage.
He revealed that the sugar mills had to crush low ripe sugarcane on furnace oil, which resulted in a massive financial blow to the industry.
He said, “Despite the losses, the sugar industry is fully cooperating with the government. The segment wants to go along with the federal and provincial government so that the industry, farmers, masses, and government can avert any future crisis”.
