HYDERABAD, Nov 3: Sindh agriculture secretary Subhago Khan Jatoi has admitted that since it always involved question of enforcement of government’s writ over sugar mills regarding commencement of crushing in October, this year November 10 was fixed as crushing date. He said that as per his estimates, growers’ outstanding dues of last year crushing season stood at Rs800 million.

He was answering questions of journalists after addressing a seminar on ‘Grow more wheat’ campaign here at local hotel on Monday.

“Yes we didn’t want to see anyone to challenging writ of government regarding commencement of crushing”, he said. He said that mills didn’t start crushing in October on the ground that they don’t get required sucrose in cane. He said that mills never commence crushing season on time. If a mill starts crushing it was closed the next day, he said.

“In October there is still some time for maturity in cane while millers complain that they don’t get required sugar content”, he said. He said that while growers estimate their dues at Rs1 billion, his estimate shows that only Rs800 million remained outstanding of last year’s cane crushing.

Earlier, speaking at the seminar, the secretary said that three maunds of wheat per-acre yield target hand been fixed by the government which also announced a support price of Rs950 for wheat.

He promised to provide quality seed to growers as it possessed 100,000 maund of seed while 150,000 maunds of seed would be arranged from Punjab and companies had 350,000 maunds with them.

He disclosed that Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Supply Corporation (PASCO) would open its centres for rice procurement at Rs700 per maund, therefore, growers should avoid selling rice on cheaper rates to traders.

Many a growers interrupted the secretary while he was delivering his speeches. Some of them like Dr Zulfikar Yusfani said that sugar mills should be restrained from importing raw sugar because in that case only growers would suffer as had happened in Nawaz Sharif government while Dr. Hadi Bux Jatoi said that crushing-related controversy always affects wheat’ cultivation because lands remained occupied by sugarcane, causing its wheat’s low yield.

Subhago Jatoi also admitted that last year some and not all of the mills paid Rs63 rate of cane. “We calculate water shortage at Guddu barrage and this year there is 35 per cent shortage. I spoke to chairman IRSA to ensure Sindh’s share as per Water Accord and then water distribution should take place at the barrages”, he said.He said that wheat procurement centres would be opened by February 15 with availability of bags and he would speak to food secretary also. He said that various equipments would be provided ob a 50 per cent discount. He also spoke about Rs4 billion five years programme for mechanised farming. He said that Rs2.25 billion ADP comprises farmer and grower- friendly schemes.

Sindh Abadgar Board president Abdul Majeed Nizamani proposed that food, agriculture and irrigation ministries should be merged at provincial level on the pattern of Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (MINFAL).

He said that grow more wheat campaign is continuing on war footing in Punjab while the scenario in Sindh is different. “Who will buy wheat from us when we grow it?”, he quipped. He emphasised on coordination between irrigation, food and agriculture ministries for present campaign to succeed.

He said that procurement centres should be made functional on time and they must have facility of hard cash for growers. He urged the growers not to be influenced from various cropping tends and opt for low delta crops. “You should grow wheat soon after paddy to exploit and capture the land’s moisture”, he said. He said that government should ensure at least one round of water availability somehow during closure period of the river.

He said that government should stores for wheat. He said that prime minister had held “30 respectable persons” responsible for wheat crisis. Nizamani added that 21 of such “respectable people” live in Karachi and had earned Rs200 billion.

Syed Qamaruzzaman Shah said that even Rs500 are not being offered for paddy crop although Pakistan Rice Board had fixed Rs900 as rate for paddy. He said that Pasco claimed that they are not finding places for opening procurement centres but growers are ready to provide them space.

Ejaz Qureshi from SIDA said that there were 400 farmers organisations with 200,000 manpower, therefore, it should be made part of agriculture department team and they both should work in close coordination in field. He referred to a World Bank report according to which Sindh was a rich area until 1947 but the given preset governance structure it will have zero growth rate.