Chandigarh: The Punjab government is considering a modest increase in the State Advised Price (SAP) of sugarcane. Initially, the government had decided to maintain the SAP at Rs 380 per quintal, reported Tribune India.
As per media report, sources close to the matter indicate that the government may adopt the recommendation of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) to raise the SAP from Rs 380 per quintal to Rs 388 per quintal. This increase of Rs 8 per quintal would make the price offered to sugarcane growers in Punjab the highest in the country.
Until the last cane-crushing season, Punjab had the highest SAP in the country, despite having the lowest sugar recovery rates from cane.
The Centre has announced a Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of Rs 315 per quintal for this season, assuming a 10.25 percent sugar recovery rate.
A meeting of the Sugarcane Control Board, originally scheduled for today, has reportedly been postponed. The SAP has not yet been announced, despite the official start of the crushing season on November 21.
