Moving beyond cane prices

Pakistan annually faces a recurring debate over sugarcane prices between farmers and sugar mills, with governments intervening to set prices. The article argues that the focus should shift from pricing to productivity, as structural challenges like stagnant farm productivity, rising costs, and resource scarcity hinder long-term competitiveness. Despite a 6.2% increase in sugarcane production last fiscal year, the crop contributes only 0.8% to GDP.