STAFF REPORT IBD: The ban on supply of gur to Afghanistan despite bumper sugarcane crop and the prolonged cold and dry weather have improved the cane supply situation for sugar mills. However, farmers in Khyber PakhtunKhwa remain adversely affected mainly on the price front.
Along with fall in price of sugar, the price of gur has also come down to about Rs 8,000-9,000 this season from Rs16,000-17,000 last year.
“For the first time during this season cane supply has reached 100 per cent delivery. We are receiving around 3,600 tonnes of the commodity daily,” Masud Khan, an official of the Premier Sugar Mills, Mardan, said adding “against the official support price of Rs150 per 40kg, the growers were being paid Rs158/40kg or around Rs200 per 50kg.”
“Huge cane production, low gur prices and damages caused to the crop by frost with fear of further loss to sucrose contents due to weather conditions, and the need to vacate lands for subsequent crops, are compelling farmers to bring their crops to the mills,” Khan added.
Naimat Shah Roghani, Senior Vice-President Anjuman-i-Kashtkaran KP, said ban on gur movement to the tribal belt and its export to Afghanistan has led to the fall in cane price severely affecting growers.

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