SAP of sugarcane fixed at Rs 200 per quintal for 2010-11

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government today fixed the State Assured Price (SAP) of advanced, medium and late variety of Sugarcane at Rs 200, Rs 195 and Rs 190 per quintal for the crushing season of 2010-11.

In order to ensure availability of sufficient stock of sugarcane for current sowing season, the crushing operations of sugarcane will start from 25th November for all the sugar mills and private gur manufacturers.

For the crushing season of 2009-10, the state government had already fixed the SAP of advanced, medium and late variety of sugarcane at Rs 180, Rs 175 and Rs 170 per quintal. The SAP was fixed in a meeting of the Sugarcane Control Board chaired by the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday.

The Chief Minister said that with an increase of SAP by Rs20 per quintal, both the cane growers and the sugar industry in private as well as cooperative sector would be benefited.He emphasized the need to adopt the trench technology, single bud and tissue cultivation to enhance the quality production of sugarcane and urged the farmers to bring more area under quality sugarcane cultivation so that mills could produce high quality sugar.

In another significant decision to check the sale of spurious quality of Gur especially prepared by the road side vendors, the Chief Minister asked the Cane Commissioner to register all the Gur manufactures in the state and also directed the health department to undertake frequent and regular sample checking to ensure quality production of Gur. He however, said that no registration fee would be charged from these Gur manufacturers.

In order to ensure availability of sufficient stock of sugarcane seed for current sowing season, it was decided in the meeting to start the crushing operations of sugarcane w.e.f. November 25 for all the sugar mills and private Gur manufacturer.

Others who attended the meeting were Agriculture Minister-cum-Chairman of the Sugar Control Board Sucha Singh Langha, Financial Commissioner Cooperation Dr B.C Gupta, Financial Commissioner Development N.S Kang, Registrar Cooperatives G.Vajralingam, Sugarfed, managing director Kirandeep Singh Bhullar and Cane Commissioner Dr. Mangal Singh Sonar.