ISLAMABAD: Minister for Industries, Production and National Food Security Rana Tanveer has taken notice of farmers` complaints regarding the low prices of sugarcane offered by sugar mills and sought a report from provincial cane commissioners on sugar prices.

Chairing a meeting of the Sugar Advisory Board on Saturday, the minister emphasised that the exploitation of farmers would not be tolerated and stressed that sugar mill owners must pay a fair price for sugarcane.

The board also reviewed the current situation of sugar stocks in the country and expressed complete satisfaction with the existing reserves.

Mr Tanveer said that the timely commencement of the sugar crushing season is a significant achievement, ensuring the smooth supply of sugar and bringing stability to the market.

A report on the sugarcane crop estimates for 2024-25, presented to the board by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, shows that sugarcane was grown on 1.194 million hectares in the country. The expected production is likely to decline by 3.5 per cent, with the yield estimated at 71.630 tonnes per hectare in 2024-25 compared to 74.255 tonnes in 2023-24.

As a result, sugarcane production is projected to be 85.500 million tonnes in 2024-25 against 87.638m tonnes in 2023-24, showing a decline of 2.4pc.

The estimated per capita consumption of sugar during the 2021-24 period stands at 25.7kg per annum, compared to 26.4kg per annum in 202223, according to the estimates presented to the board by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.