L A H O R E : Representatives of two groups of farmers body Kissan Ittehad called on Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif here on Friday and discussed their problems.

Khalid Khokhar, who led his own group of the Kissan Ittehad, said they demanded the government order for an early start of the sugarcane crushing season and increase in cane support price which was not revised during the last four years.

He said they also called for improving agricultural research.

Chief of his own f action of the Ittehad, Chaudhry Anwar appreciated the government`s farm policies.

The chief minister was quoted as telling the farmers that sugar mills would be bound to startthe crushing season early and the agriculture minister and chief secretary would hold a dialogue with the millers in this regard.

He said a meeting would also be arranged between representatives of farmers and the federal minister for water & power to address their irrigation-related complaints.

He told them that the ban on irrigating vegetable and fruit with sewerage water would be strictly implemented and necessary administrative support would be provided to the agriculture minister in this respect.

The CM also promised forming a high-level committee for solving the problems facing the farming community. The committee would comprise provincial ministers Rana Sanaullah, Bilal Yasin, Asif Saeed Manhais and Naeem Akhtar Bhabha, the chief secretary and secretaries of the departments concerned.