Growers demand free sugar market

Pakistan Kissan Ittehad (PKI) has asked the federal government to lift all controls on the sugar sector, according to The Express Tribune. Its president, Khalid Mahmood Khokhar, requested immediate permission to export 1 million tons of surplus sugar before November 15, the date set for the new crushing season to begin. The group warns that approval delays and export curbs could bring heavy losses for farmers.

Industry estimates point to a bumper sugarcane crop grown on 3.5 million acres, with output expected to rise 10% to 15%. Stakeholders also put the unconsumed domestic surplus at nearly 1.3 million tons, and growers fear cane prices could fall sharply without timely export approval. They recall the 2017-18 season, when delayed export decisions reportedly cost farming households nearly Rs100 billion.

Citing the Pakistan Economic Survey 2025-26, the report notes sugarcane output reached a record 89.45 million tons in FY2025-26. Industry leaders nevertheless argue that state intervention still holds back the sugar sector's global competitiveness. The PKI wants full deregulation of imports, exports, production and pricing, a moratorium on new mills until capacity reaches 75% utilisation, and repeal of provincial Sugar Acts. Processors say such changes would encourage mills to invest in yields and protect smallholders from price collapses.