Cane crushing season: Punjab sets Rs200 per maund as minimum price

LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar chaired on Friday a session comprising top huddle to discuss the minimum price of sugarcane as the cane crushing season begins in the region, ARY News reported.

The government has decided on the eve of the crushing season the minimum price for a maund of sugarcane to be Rs200.

The crushing season will formally begin across the districts of South Punjab by November 10 of the current year. Which will be followed with the crushing season in remaining districts of Punjab by November 15, as approved by the government.

The session president today, Usman Buzdar, stressed that the rights of cane farmers will be protected at any cost starting from the present season and said that their exploitation of any sort will not be tolerated.

Buzdar noted that the government was keen on protecting farmers’ right before and it will continue to protect them in the future as well.

READ: Sugar mills to pay cane growers via banks in Punjab

Earlier this month the government of Punjab mandated the sugar millers to carry out their transactions to sugarcane growers via banks in order to avoid complications that may lead to exploitation of the farmers.

Apparently, in its bid to control the sugar crisis and exploitation of sugarcane farmers, the provincial government has amended the Sugar Factories Control Act 1950 to necessitate the recorded transactions.

The Cane Commissioner of Punjab administration has advised the cane growers to open their bank accounts in the local banks near the mills to ensure swift transactions.