Acceding to the long pending demand of the cane growers across the state, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today directed the state agriculture department to immediately allow them to sow CJ-238 as early sugarcane variety instead of mid-variety.This assurance was given by the Chief Minister to the Senior Akali leader and former Cabinet Minister Mr. Sewa Singh Sekhwan, who called on the former at his residence for seeking his personal and direct intervention for quick resolution of various issues, related to the farmers in general and cane growers in particular.Mr. Sekhwan briefed the Chief Minister that the cane growers across the state had been demanding to declare the sugarcane variety CJ-238 as early variety instead of mid-variety since long. He impressed upon Mr. Badal to permit the cane growers to sow CJ-238 as early variety for a year till the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana finalized its trials to arrive at a concrete conclusion in this regard.
Apart from this, Mr. Badal said that the state government has pro-actively taken special initiatives to clear the outstanding sugarcane arrears due towards the sugar mills expeditiously besides ensuring smooth functioning of sugar mills in the state. He said that the nine sugar mills in the government sector had already made payment to the cane growers worth Rs.540 Cr. Likewise, seven private sugar mills have already released Rs.988 Cr. and the remaining payment would be made to the farmers on account of clearing their cane arrears shortly by the private mill owners as the state government has already got a loan of Rs. 200 Cr. arranged from the banks by furnishing state guarantee. Similarly, the state government has already prevailed upon the owners of the Private Sugar Mills to start bounding in the larger interests of the cane growers.
The state government would ensure payment of sugarcane price @ Rs.295 per quintal by the mills under all circumstances, while reviewing the hardships being faced by the sugarcane growers and sugar mills in view of the depressed sugar market. Meanwhile, it was clarified that the mills would pay Rs.245 per quintal, whereas the government would pay a subsidy of Rs.50 per quintal for the current crushing season i.e. 2015-16.The Cabinet in its recent meeting also decided to waive guarantee fee of Rs.4 Cr. on soft loan to be arranged for private sugar mills to enable them to clear the pending cane dues of the farmers. The interest on soft loan for three and half years would also be borne by the Government to ensure that private sugar mills pay sugarcane arrears to the farmers.Expressing satisfaction over the smooth and bumper procurement of Paddy, the Chief Minister revealed that as till date 143 Lac MT of Paddy had been procured in the state against the total 118 Lac MT of paddy procured during the previous year.