Sugarcane price increased by Rs five for mid, late varieties

Chandigarh, Nov 14 (UNI) The Haryana Government has decided to increase the sugarcane price by Rs five per quintal each for mid and late maturing varieties of sugarcane to be purchased by sugar mills from cane growers during the crushing season 2006-07.

Disclosing this here today, Agriculture Minister Harmohinder Singh Chatha said that early variety sugarcane would now be purchased at Rs 138 per quintal, mid maturing variety at Rs 128 per quintal and late maturing variety at Rs 126 per quintal by sugar mills in cooperative as well as private sectors.

Thus an additional amount of Rs 30 crores would be paid to cane growers by the sugar mills of the state during the current season.

Haryana is giving the highest price of sugarcane to its cane growers in the country, informed the Minister.

He said the State Government had increased sugarcane purchase price by Rs 18 per quintal after taking over in the state and fixed the purchase price at Rs 135 for early maturing varieties, Rs 123 for mid maturing varieties and Rs 121 for late maturing varieties during the year 2005-06.

With this increase, the farmers were paid Rs 41 crore more during the year 2005-06 as compared to the year 2004-05, he added.

Expressing his gratitude to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for giving a significant increase in the prices of sugarcane to the farming community, Mr Chatha said the previous Indian National Lok Dal Government had enhanced only Rs 7 per quintal during its tenure, which was a very meagre hike in the sugarcane price.

The total area covered under sugarcane during the year 2006-07 is about 1.57 lakh hectares, out of which 24,312 hectares is under early maturing varieties, 10,4424 hectares under mid maturing varieties and 27,823 hectares under late maturing varieties.

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