Pakistan: Sugar Crisis Turns Ramadan Bitter
譯者：Leonard（全球之聲） 原作者：Faisal Kapadia
全球之聲原新聞連結
每逢伊斯蘭教齋戒月（Ramadan），巴基斯坦糧食總會供不應求，今年糖類供應格外短缺，政府為此計畫透過官方補助通路，將糖類配銷量由四萬噸增至十萬噸，但人們只要行經這些商店一瞧，便知糖品供應依舊嚴重不足。
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Every year during the month of Ramadan there is usually a shortage in the food commodities market In Pakistan due to excessive demand. This year the shortfall in supply is particularly acute in the sugar market. To combat this the government plans to increase the volume of sales of sugar through utility stores (subsidized government outlets) from 40,000 tons to 100,000 tons. However just driving past any of these stores is proof enough to convince a person that sufficient supply of sugar is not available.
一如《The Dawn》報導，喀拉奇（Karachi）地區的糖品供應量較平常更少，無法應付節節高漲的需求，當地若有現貨時，市價為每公斤58巴基斯坦幣，而官方售價則為每公斤38元。
As per a report in The Dawn, which cites the supply condition in Karachi, the stores are getting less supplies of sugar than usual and are unable to cater the growing demands of the consumers. The sugar price in the open market rose to Rs 55-58 per kg (when available) whereas the official selling price of sugar is Rs 38 per kg.
Hassan Khan在個人部落格上，從政治角度分析此次危機：
＂巴基斯坦共有80座製糖廠，多數為投資商或政治人物所有，他們可能早在齋戒月之前便囤積糖品，造成每公斤價格從38元躍為54元，巴國電視新聞頻道總報導壞消息，但更糟的是危機已入高峰期，部會首長卻向媒體表示，國際糖價上揚牽動國內市價走勢。＂
Hassan Khan remarks on the political angle to this crises on his blog:
“Pakistan has approximately 80 sugar mills. Most of them owned by investors and politicians. Level of hypocrisy is that before ramzan, they have started stocking sugar and its price from Rs 38 per kg jumped to Rs 54. It always looks bad when you switch to Pakistani news channels but worst when such crises is on its peak and a minister is briefing press that due to increase in international prices of sugar, sugar prices are increasing in the Pakistan.”
巴基斯坦甘蔗田照片來自Flickr用戶Omer Wazir，依據創用CC授權使用
Sugar Cane Production In Pakistan. Image by Flickr User Omer Wazir http://www.flickr.com/photos/thewazir/ / CC BY-SA 2.0
Sana Saleem指出，此次糖品供需失衡源於今年產量下滑：
＂據報導，農民指責製糖廠老闆拖欠款項，資料顯示至少延宕八至十個月，導致農民不願種植甘蔗，改種利潤較誘人的麥子；而今糖廠老闆操弄價格，外界不僅指控他們拖延付款，導致今年產量較去年減少15%至20%，他們也囤積大量庫存，故市場缺貨是人為所致。＂
Sana Saleem says that the sugar shortage is due to a reduced crop production this year:
“The farmers have reportedly blamed the mill owners of not providing adequate payments. Records state that the payments to the growers were delayed for more than eight to ten months. This discouraged farmers from sowing sugar cane and (they) opt(ed) for growing wheat instead to avail attractive incentives. Now comes time for manipulations by the mill owners. Not only are the mill owners accused of delaying payments causing a decrease in supply of about 15 to 20 percent as compared to last year, they have also hoarded large amounts of supplies. These supplies have been hoarded (conveniently) in order to create an artificial shortage in the market.”
拉霍爾（Lahore）地區顧問Bilquis在CHUP部落格指供精闢分析：
“今年糖品產量自然下滑，農民和一般人相同，都想要種植能創造最大利潤的作物，2008年至2009年間，現任政府將麥子收購底價增至950元，鼓勵農民增種麥子，這項誘因讓許多農民改種麥，紛紛棄種甘蔗，致使甘蔗產量下跌。
Bilquis, a consultant from Lahore, provides expert analysis on this issue at CHUP:
“The current year saw a natural decrease in sugar production. In general, farmers, like others, only produce crops that give them maximum profit. In 2008-09, the current government increased the wheat (purchasing) price to Rs 950 (minimum price) to encourage farmers to grow wheat. This was an attractive incentive and resulted in attracting non growers to grow wheat (as it is profitable). As a result, sugarcane farmers switched to wheat production which resulted in a drop in sugarcane production.
＂且過去十年以來，糖業市場的結構也不利甘蔗產量，許多專家指出，農民因為水源不足、糖廠態度、收款耗時、成本提高、植物病蟲害、鼠輩猖獗等理由，陸續縮小甘蔗耕種面積，尤其是糖廠欠款與水源有限，讓農民不願耕種甘蔗，兩項因素造成今年糖品供應量較去年降低15%至20%。＂
“Moreover, over the past decade, sugar cane production has declined because of the naturally difficult/negative constitution of the sugar market. Numerous specialists state that farmers have decreased the total area under production due to water shortage, behavior of the mill’s management, late payments, increased input cost, and diseases and rodent attack. They especially blame mill owners for late and/or no payments to farmers and limited irrigation water that make the farmers reluctant to grow the crop. Hence, these two factors have naturally reduced the supply of sugar by 15 to 20 percent compared to last year.”
目前巴基斯坦政府打算進口糖品以應付需求，但巴西及印度等糖品出口國也抬高價格，故短期內糖價皆無回跌跡象，未來幾天將成關鍵，因為許多民眾即將為此走上街頭抗議。
Right now, the Pakistan government is thinking of importing sugar from abroad to meet this shortfall. However, foreign traders of sugar such as Brazil and India have also raised their prices. So the price will not be coming down anytime soon. What happens in the next few days is critical as people are ready to come out on the streets to protest the sugar crisis.
