The state government plans to increase the state-agreed price
In a bid to appease farmers, the state government plans to increase the state-agreed price (SAP) for sugarcane by Rs10 per quintal.
With this, the early yielding variety of cane could fetch Rs310 per quintal, mid-yielding variety Rs300 and late-yielding variety Rs295. The SAP will be increased after two years.
Sources in the Agriculture Department told The Tribune the rates had been recommended to the government after meetings with cane growers and representatives of private and cooperative sugar mills in Punjab.
A meeting of the Sugar Cane Control Board, headed by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, is likely to be convened later this month, where the new rates at which cane is to be bought will be finalised and subsequently notified. The cane crushing season will officially begin on November 15.
It is learnt that the area under sugarcane this year is higher (97,000 hectares) than last year (95,000). The production is expected to be around 67,000 quintals (as against 66,000 last year).
“Since retail prices are much higher, the government has decided to increase the SAP,” a senior officer said.
However, there is still no word on clearing Rs 95.04-crore dues pending since the previous crushing season (2016-17). A private sugar mill owned by Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh and another by a relative of late liquor baron