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Lack of effective surveillance by the government has resulted in a shortage of sugar in the country.
Sugar production has decreased on a monthly basis during the 2024-25 season compared to last year’s data and current season estimates. Meanwhile, sugar exports are underway without interference. The situation has been accused of improper influence of sugar mill owners, in which government officials in charge of organizing sugar trade.
Sugar Advisory Board failed to recognize a significant reduction in sugar production and allowed dessert export, thus promoting sugar shortage in the country.
Federal Minister, headed by Rana Tanveer Hussain, SAB held regular meetings every two weeks but ignored the ongoing and clear decline in diabetes production. The board did not stop the export of sugar. If the board had worked immediately and banned the export of diabetes, severe shortage could have been stopped.
The sugar industry data for the 2024-25 season shows a decrease in domestic production, a trend that contains other statements of sugar production. The total output of 5,861,769 tonnes means 982,050 tonnes or 14 % decrease in 2023-24 by 6,843,819 tonnes. Monthly data also indicated a constant decline in diabetes production.
This trend was clear from the beginning of the crushing season of 2024. Sugar preparations decreased by 29,173 tonnes in November and 363,118 tonnes in December. In March, a surprising decline of 237.522 tonnes or 47 % decreased. Despite these figures, the export of sugar – which is predicted on a speculation – continues to be stopped.
Production statistics reflect the domestic supply of domestic supply, yet the export policy has not changed. In -charge officials were apparently more sympathetic to the industry than domestic consumers. As a result, the local need was ignored.
Despite a 14 % reduction in production, the decision to continue export, suggests effective lobbying through sugar mills. Historical sample, such as 2022 Export Boom, with low reserves, is the CO opening. Export increases prices in the local market, making low -income families the most difficult target.
Transparency and data -driven doors are essential to testing such failures.
Instead of effectively organizing the sugar trade, according to the fact of the market, the sugar advisory board has apparently forgotten its basic tasks, resulting in poor governance, which causes a lot of harm to people.
Surprisingly, the SAB focused its focus on critically reviewing the volume of sugar production in the peak exports during the fifteen days. Instead, it announced steps to set up special sugar stalls to provide commodities through market guards to confine the initial reduction in sugar production.
The Sugar Advisory Board had apparently forgotten its basic work, resulting in poor governance, which causes a lot of harm to consumers.
The required interference by the board, preventing exports, can stabilize the supply. The regulator should have ignored the pressure brought by the manufacturers and eliminate the priorities with public welfare.
In this context, the formation of the Sugar Advisory Board is much more public attention. Many organizations have expressed concern about how farmers are represented on the board. He argues that some members, who are said to represent the interests of the farmers, were in fact nominated on the board at the behest of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association. Some of the former representatives of the farmer’s organizations have claimed that they have been removed from the SAB under the influence under the influence of the sugar industry lobby.
The SAB has so far avoided making its decisions and how it is in line with its mandate to protect consumer interests by organizing sugar production and trade.
The passage of SAB is the result of structural issues and political influence.
It is an open secret that the sugar industry uses inappropriate influence by politically powerful sugar mill owners, many of whom are parliamentarians or have close ties to those living in power. This creates a dispute of interests because SAB advice and government policies often support mill owners at the expense of ordinary consumers.
The SAB, which aims to neutralize the industry, is clearly unable to do so. It has allowed mill owners to manipulate supply and pricing stimulations to allow exports and imports.
The PSMA has previously flagged the cartel -like methods, such as storage and manipulation of prices. SAB has failed to implement drastic measures against such methods, which enables mills to export sugar so that they can produce shortages and then sell the rest of the stock at higher prices.
On several occasions over the past decade, SAB approved sugar exports despite the possibility of potential domestic shortage. For example, in 2018 and 2019, SAB allowed export of 1.1 million tonnes of sugar despite concerns about low sugarcane production and water shortage. Due to this, the domestic supply difference, which led to the retail prices increased by Rs 55.99 per kg in November 2018, which increased by Rs 71.44 per kg by June 2019.
Between July 2024 and May 2025, Pakistan exported 765,734 tonnes of sugar. It has been decided to import 750,000 tonnes after export, including raw sugar. Exports raised domestic prices to a record 200 rupees per kg, which is significantly higher than the pre -export rate of Rs 140 per kg. SAB’s failure to balance export quota with domestic needs has increased prices fluctuations for consumers.
The Sugar Advisory Board’s discretionary policies are in favor of the sugar industry.
Author is a staff reporter at News International.
