Ambala: Farmers demand sugarcane SAP hiked to Rs 400/quintal

Ambala, November 14

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Sugarcane farmers have demanded that the state advised price (SAP) for their produce should be raised to Rs 400 a quintal from Rs 362 a quintal at present.

The sugarcane crop faced pest attacks this year and a lot of money had to be spent on pesticides to protect the crop, they said. They were also expecting a yield loss this year, they added.

Ganna Kisan Sangharsh Samiti president Vinod Rana said, “The government is yet to announce the SAP for the cane-crushing season. As the sugarcane crop came under pest attacks, the farmers spent a huge amount on sprays. The government should increase the SAP to at least Rs 400 a quintal. The delayed payment by the Naraingarh sugar mill is another cause for concern. Even the dues for the previous season are yet to be cleared by the mill.”

The mill reportedly crushed around 46.26 lakh quintals of sugarcane, worth around Rs 165.51 crore, during the cane-crushing season that started in November last year.

Sugarcane farmer and BKU leader Rajiv Sharma said, “The Naraingarh sugar mill is yet to clear around Rs 16-crore dues in cash. Several crores are due in the form of post-dated cheques too. We had a meeting with the mill authorities recently and they had given an assurance to clear the cash dues for the previous season by December 15. As per norms, the dues must be cleared within 14 days of purchase.”