Sugarcane is mainly grown in Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan. Sugar mills need to be located near sugarcane fields because sugarcane starts losing its sugar content after harvesting and must be crushed immediately. It is also bulky and heavy to transport far. Problems include sugar mills operating below capacity due to high sugarcane prices set by middlemen, and a short 160-day milling season which causes intermittent operations and losses. Solutions proposed include making all mills public companies, banning government protection or subsidies, and directly paying farmers to reduce middlemen prices.