Webinar on Sugar Industry in Pakistan

Why do we have repeated sugar shortages? Is it smuggling? Is it hoarding? Or is it something even deeper? PIDE has stimulated an academic debate by taking a closer look at the recent sugar crisis during a webinar held on ??00, 2020. The purpose of the webinar was to assess the economic incentives or disincentives generated from over-regulation of the industry. The case for regulation of sugarcane industry has been built on the premise that both buyers and sellers need protection from collusive behaviour. Sugarcane is non-storable and non-transportable, so Mandatory Crushing Laws and support prices are used to protect farmers’ interests. A Licence Raj has been put in place to protect millers by securing their rights of access to sugarcane in their designated area.