The Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) has asked the government to allow the early export of 400,000 metric tonnes of surplus sugar, warning that mills cannot start the 2026-27 crushing season before December because of large unsold stocks.
What happened?
The association’s General Body met simultaneously in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, with mill owners from Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in attendance. The meeting concluded that the current stock levels make it impossible to begin crushing before December, and it authorised the association’s Executive Committee to take the industry’s demands to the government.
Key details
- About 1.1 million metric tonnes of sugar remains in surplus even after the government approved the export of 200,000 tonnes.
- The association is seeking permission for the early export of 400,000 metric tonnes of the surplus stock.
- It also asked the government to release the long-awaited deregulation policy for the sugar sector, warning that another large surplus is expected by the end of the 2026-27 crushing season.
- Mill owners will hold a news conference in Lahore on November 16, 2026, to decide their future course of action.
- The association also plans to write to the Deputy Prime Minister about the sector’s difficulties and request a meeting.
- Separately, the Trading Corporation of Pakistan has invited fresh bids to export 108,000 tonnes of surplus sugar, with bids due by November 13.
What it means for people in Pakistan
A delayed crushing season affects sugarcane growers waiting to sell their crop, while mills face mounting storage and financing costs on unsold stocks. Clearing the surplus through exports would ease pressure on mills and help them pay growers on time, though the government must also weigh domestic supply and prices before allowing more exports.
Source: ARY News — PSMA General Body calls for early sugar exports and deregulation of industry
