Revise sugarcane support price to Rs 450/quintal, demand farmers

Farmer bodies have urged the state government to revise the support price of sugarcane to Rs 450 per quintal, 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 (SAP) is Rs 401 for early varieties against Rs 391 per quintal for late varieties. The state government had increased the SAP by Rs 10 per quintal in November.

Decline in cultivation area

Currently, sugarcane is cultivated on nearly 1 lakh hectares in the state. At its peak in 1996 97, the area under its cultivation was 1.73 lakh hectares.

Delayed payments, low returns and rising input costs have contributed to a steady decline in the cultivation of the crop, say farm leaders.

“If the government does not intervene, farmers may be forced to abandon cane cultivation,” warned Rajbir Singh, a local cultivator.

Rattan Singh Randhawa, a farmer leader belonging to the Border Area Sangarsh Committee, said, “Prices need to made profitable. Defunct cooperative sugar mills in Tarn Taran should also be made functional.”

Farmer leader Satnam Singh Ajnala of the Jamhoori Kisan Sabha said if made profitable, sugarcane cultivation could help in crop diversification efforts.

Farmers also demanded that sugar mills be made operational by October 15 each year. “Mills often start operations only by the November-end, which is against farmers’ interests,” said Mandeep Singh, a cultivator from Ajnala, while demanding timely payment of dues.

Currently, there are nine cooperative and six private sugar mills in Punjab.