Sugar crisis further intensifies in country

Updated at: 2128 PST, Tuesday, October 27, 2009

KARACHI: People still continue to suffer for having to buy sugar at exorbitant prices across the country, as the commodity is available at Rs100/kg in some parts of the country, Geo News reported Tuesday.According to sugar industry sources, the sugar mills have 450,000 tonnes of sugar, whereas, the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has at its godowns 153,332 tonnes of imported sugar and 35,159 tonnes of locally purchased sugar.Two ships arrived at Port Qasim with 37,534 tonnes of TCP-imported sugar; thus, a total of 676,000 tonnes of sugar are currently present in country, which is enough for two months of consumption in the country.But despite the presence of the sugar stocks, the country is still in the grips of intense sugar crisis, as the commodity is being sold at Rs100/kg in South Punjab districts of Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur.According to market sources, the people started using the artificial sweeteners. The sugar wholesale market presents deserted look. Meantime, Wholesale Grocers Association Chairman Anees Majid said the provincial government assured the provision of sugar at Rs36/kg from the sugar mills; but, nothing happened.The government seems absolutely failed in providing sugar at Rs40/kg in Peshawar as well, as the commodity is barely available even at Rs60 to Rs80/kg.Similarly in Quetta, sugar is available at Rs40/kg at centers; but, in retail markets, the sugar is being sold at Rs48 to Rs50/kg.In Punjab also, the sugar is being at the same price of Rs48 to Rs50/kg and is barely available.