NEW DELHI – At this time sugarcane production is very high in Maharashtraand due to the low market price, last year’s sugar is still in go-downs.Here is a ground report from Mumbai.
Maharashtra has always seen a good sugar production. This time due tobumper sugarcane production it is expected that sugar production will alsotouch its high. But in such scenario, instead of buying sugar from localproducers, 30,000 quintals of sugar has been imported from Pakistan. It hasraised many questions over the BJP government in Centre and state.
“When there is a bumper production of sugarcane in Maharashtra this timewhy has government imported sugar from Pakistan? Instead of helping farmersof Maharashtra this government has imported sugar from Pakistan which ischeaper than just Re 1. This government talks against Pakistan who iskilling our soldiers and buying sugar from them. How can we eat such sugarwhich has the blood of our soldiers? It shows double standards of thisgovernment,” said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Dhananjay Munde.
This import has taken place during the time that sugar industry is facing acrisis because of a crash in prices. This has led to a serious dip in theprice of sugar not only in domestic markets but also in internationalmarkets.
To minimize the crisis, the Indian sugar industry is looking for differentavenues to export sugar to the country’s neighbours. In this situation,importing sugar from Pakistan has further weakened the industry’s position.