Zardari’s 19 sugar mills main cause of delay in crushing season: Sindh Agriculturists

HYDERABAD: Sindh Agriculture Research Council a body of small growers and peasants have accuse Sindh government of delay in start of sugar mills in the province for main reason that out of 31 sugar mills of province 19 are owned by former president and PPP chief Asif Ali Zardari. So that standing crop of sugar cane may get dried up to compel growers to sell their sugar cane to mills owned by Zardari at price cheaper. The growers said perhaps that is why Sindh government has not notified cost price of sugar cane though Punjab has issued notification of Rs.180 per 40 kilograms of commodity. Addressing news conference at press club here Ali Ahmed Palh and others of SARC told media that they have written letter to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to take notice of plight of small growers, peasants, labourers and all those who depend on agriculture for their livelihood and survival. Shortage of water and other factors including corruption in World Bank supported agriculture projects, open sale of adulterated seeds, fertilizer, pesticides and other inputs in market without any action by Sindh government have destroyed agriculture and growers in Sindh. They said protests of empty gunny bags (Bardana), unfair prices of rice, sugarcane and every year delay in starting of crushing season have broken backbone of small growers and peasants. They said it was common news on ground and talk of town that main factor behind non issuance of notification of notification of minimum price of sugarcane and starting of crushing season was that Asif Zardari was owner of 19 sugar mills as such current policy of Sindh government of PPP was being attributed to him. This fact, they added, has been echoed in Sindh Assembly by opposition members few days back. They said that this policy of Sindh government was totally against manifesto of PPP and its slogan of ROTI, KAPRA & MAKAN. They hoped that urgent action will be taken on this issue facing majority of people of province and required notification issued.