TOBA TEK SINGH, March 9: Almost all sugar millers in the district have declined to purchase cane on the plea that farmers had cultivated the varieties which were banned by the government.

Millers claimed that the varieties of CPF/238, 79 and India were banned by the Punjab sugarcane commissioner for sowing and crushing so they were unable to purchase these crops.

On the other hand, farmers claimed that they were unaware of the banned varieties and some of them said they had got the seed of these varieties from the mills of their respective areas.

A Gojra union council nazim, Arshad Noori, claimed that Chaudhry Sugar mills (owned by Mian Nawaz Sharif family) had started the purchase of all the three banned varieties at the start of the crushing season, but with deduction of 10 per cent weight. Later, the miller was purchasing cane with the deduction of 25 per cent and thereafter with 50 per cent. But now with the start of the current month, the miller refused to accept these varieties.

Noori claimed that not only payment against the current supply of sugarcane was suspended but the dues of the previous crop had also been withheld.

A few days ago, husband of Gojra PML-Q MNA-elect Begum Farkhanda -- Amjad Warraich -- and MPA Bilal Asghar Warraich had visited the Chaudhry Sugar Mills and conveyed the concerns of the growers to the management. They had reportedly warned the mills management that if the latter did not start purchasing all varieties, they would be focred to stand with farmers against the mills. Growers of some Gojra villages had also staged a protest outside the mills on Saturday. No one from Chaudhry Sugar Mills was available to talk to this correspondent on the issue.

It was learnt that Gojra-Samundri Sugar Mills (owned by Monoo group) had already been closed by the management for “mechanical fault.”

Kamalia Sugar Mills of former senator Farooq Ahmad Khan is also not accepting these varieties.

When contacted Kamalia Sugar Mills general-manager Khwaja Athar Aziz said it was wrong that his mills had purchased non-variety sugarcane from farmers.

“We have so far purchased 30 million maunds of sugarcane but all approved varieties and his unit will continue crushing till the last grower of the area supplies his produce to the mills,” Aziz said.

To a query that a farmer had allegedly attempted suicide outside the mills on Thursday, he termed the report baseless and said no such incident took place here.

He claimed that his mills had educated the farmers before the start of sowing season about the banned varieties, but if someone did so, it was not fault of the mills.

On the other hand, farmer leaders said low rates were being given to them for those varieties which were allowed by the government with the excuse that the juice had been lessened due to frost and cold during the last some months.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Kisan Committee president Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad said farmers were being fleeced by both the private sector and the government department.

PML-N MPA-elect Mian Muhammad Rafiq said when farmers carried their produce to sugar mills gates they were misbehaved with and forced to stay outside for more than 72 hours.

“During this period some brokers offer less than the fixed price to the loaded trolley owners,” Rafiq said.