Farmers threaten stir, seek Rs 500/quintal as sugarcane SAP

Farmers here on Thursday threatened to stage a protest from November 21 if the Punjab Government didn’t increase the state advised price (SAP) of sugarcane to Rs 500 per quintal.

Addressing reporters, their leaders said they would wait for two weeks for a positive response from the government before launching the agitation. Earlier, farm bodies had demanded an upward revision in the support price, citing low returns due to higher input costs.

On the lines of the minimum support price for paddy and wheat, the Centre and state governments every year fix sugarcane rates, which sugar mills are legally bound to pay for cane procured from farmers.

For the current fiscal, the Centre has fixed the fair and remunerative price (FRP) of sugarcane at Rs 355 per quintal.

However, the Punjab Government’s state advised price is Rs 401 for early varieties against Rs 391 per quintal for late varieties.

The Punjab Government had increased the SAP by Rs 11 per quintal in November last year.

Farmers are pressing for higher rates, arguing that current support prices threaten their livelihoods, with margins squeezing due to higher cost of labour, fuel and fertilisers.

“If our demand not accepted, we will block a highway and a railway track from November 21,” said Bharti Kisan Union (Doaba) president Manjit Singh Rai.

Rai told mediapersons they would submit a memorandum to the DC on Friday. “We will hold a protest outside the DC office on November 18,” he added. The farmers also sought the release of Rs 22 crore pending with the Phagwara Sugar Mill.