LAHORE: As sugar mills reportedly threatened to stop crushing because of cane price issues, farmers on Friday threatened to `set cane trolleys on fire, block roads and launch a massive protest campaign throughout Punjab.

According to farmers, the issue came to a head when the Sindh government de-notified previously announced price of Rs182 per maund and brought it down to Rs155 per 40Kg two days ago.

Trying to bank on the development,the Punjab sugar mills also demanded reduction in price, setting off protests from the farmers.

The Kissan Board Pakistan on Friday said that it had intimated its districts and tehsil set-ups to get readyfor a`huge`protestifthe government reduced prices or the millers tried to exploit them because of Sindh price reduction.

So did Pakistan Kissan Itehad.

`We have also asked our local organizations to pull their socks up and even plan protest rallies and picketing of mills,` says an official of the organization.

`With rice prices already dropping down to rock bottom, cotton prices have refused to pick up even marginally. Cane was the last hope of the farmers. In the given situation, the farmers are left with nooption but to take to the streets even if it means blocking roads,` he said.

Haji Ramazan of the Kissan Board Pakistan is of the opinion that the farmers accepted the cane price of Rs180 per 40Kg with reservations. Given the huge increase in cost of production, they had pleaded for Rs230 per maund rate. Even the provincial government had calculated cost of production at Rs194 per 40Kg, but it still notified only Rs180 per maund support price. The farmers accepted it very reluctantly. But the millers refused to cooperate; they first delayed start of crushing season, then they went slow on purchases and waited the glut to build up. With now most of the crop harvested and transported to the mills, they have simply refused to buy iteven at the rate of Rs180 per maund.

They are asking farmers to either sell cane at Rs153 per maund Rs2 less than the revised Sindh price or take it back home.

Ramzan said the KBP would not let it happen. He said the ruling class, be in the government or opposition, owned a majority of mills.

CM: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Friday assured the farmers that the rate of sugar cane would not be allowed to come down and the interests of the cultivators would be safeguarded at any cost.

He said that sugar mill owners were bound to make payments to cultivators at the fixed rate and the government would discharge its responsibility.