Punjab CM hikes sugarcane price by Rs 11 per quintal to Rs 391, says new rate is highest in country

Punjab chief minister took to X to announce the hike in sugarcane price. The CM said the new rate of Rs 391 is the highest in the country. The farmers had earlier demanded a hike from Rs 380 to Rs 450 per quintal. In Haryana, the sugarcane rate is Rs 386 per quintal and in Uttar Pradesh it is Rs 350 per quintal.

Chandigarh:Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday hiked the sugarcane price by Rs 11 per quintal and said that the increase of rate from Rs 380 to 391 a quintal is the highest in the country.

Taking to X to announce the hike, Mann said that it is "good omen" for the farmers. He wrote, "With an increase of Rs 11, the new rate of sugarcane will be Rs 391, which is the highest in the country,". Mann further said that Rs 11 is considered to be a "good omen" so his government is gifting it to the farmers. "Punjabis of all walks of life will get good news....your money, your name," he added.

The announcement came in the wake of protests launched by farmers demanding a rise in sugarcane price from Rs 380 to 450 per quintal. Earlier, the protesting farmers had held a meeting with Mann, who assured to look into their demand. Following which, the farmers withdrew their protest.

It is being told that of the Rs 11 hike, Rs 5 will be contributed by the state government while remaining will be given by the sugar mill management. Sugar mills of Punjab resumed operation from November 30.

Presently, Haryana pays the highest rate of Rs 386 per quintal, while it is Rs 350 per quintal in Uttar Pradesh, the largest sugarcane producing state. Sugar recovery in all these states is 9.70 per cent higher than Punjab.

There are 16 sugar mills in the state, out of which nine mills belong to the cooperative sector. These sugar mills record a daily production of 5600 tonnes of sugar. Around 97,000 hectares are under sugarcane cultivation in Punjab and the production of sugarcane is estimated to be 677 lakh quintals. Two years ago around 1.10 lakh hectares were under sugarcane cultivation.

Last year the AAP government had increased the price of sugarcane by Rs 30 per quintal. When Captain Amarinder Singh's government was formed in 2017, the Congress government had increased the price by Rs 15.

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