Meanwhile, the opposition has ridiculed the government, calling the latest announcement by the chief minister a mockery of farmers’ plight.
Published Dec 02, 2023 | 11:27 AM ⚊ Updated Dec 02, 2023 | 11:27 AM
Sugarcane farm in Punjab. (Wikimedia)
The Punjab government on Friday, 1 December, announced a SAP (state-agreed price) hike of ₹11 per quintal on sugarcane.
“Cane growers will get ₹391 per quintal. In Punjab, ₹11 is considered a ‘shagun’, so I am announcing this as a hike in the SAP. With this, Punjab will be giving the highest rate of sugarcane in the country,” said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, while making the announcement.
Sugarcane growers had demanded an increase in the SAP ahead of the cane crushing season in November.
Though the government is celebrating this as a pro-farmer announcement, farmers in Punjab have rejected the move. Addressing the media, Manjit S Rai, president, of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Doaba), demanded a minimum increase of ₹20 per quintal in SAP of sugarcane to take it to ₹400 per quintal for the 2023-24 season.
Farmers have also sought that the mills should be made operational immediately. Facing protests by sugarcane growers, last week, the chief minister had assured them the government would continue to give them the highest rate in the coming times.
The farmers who had aborted their earlier protests have now resumed the same as sugarcane farmers have blocked traffic at the National Highway in Mukerian of district Hoshiarpur.
Farmers are adamant about keeping the NH blocked till the fulfilment of demands. Prior to this, protesters under the banner of (SKM) Samyukt Kisan Morcha had blocked the Jalandhar-New Delhi National Highway.
The strike ended on the fourth day after a meeting between farmer leaders and the chief minister.
Meanwhile, the opposition has also ridiculed the government calling the latest announcement by the Chief Minister a mockery of farmers’ plight.
“They had not asked for crores but just ₹20 more so that the SAP could be ₹400 a quintal. The government that boasts of being farmer-friendly couldn’t even do so. It’s sad that farmers have to take to roads to get what is their right due,” they said.
“₹11 is a sheer mockery of their plight and exemplifies the worth of CM’s word. They were seeking as the CO38 variety of the sugarcane has been marred by the Red Rot disease. On the other hand, the crop has been reduced because of floods in July and August but the government couldn’t see to it,” said the leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa.
Haryana had last month announced a hike of ₹14 in the sugarcane price to ₹386 a quintal.
