Lucknow: With an eye apparently on the
forthcoming Assembly elections, the Uttar Pradesh government today hiked cane price by Rs 40 to a maximum of Rs 250 per
quintal.
"In the interest of the farmers the government has
decided to hike the State Advisory Price (SAP) of the cane by
Rs 40 per quintal," Chief Minister Mayawati told reporters
here.
She said that now the cane price of different varieties
of cane would be Rs 235 per quintal, Rs 240 and Rs 250
respectively.
"The decision will benefit more than 40 lakh cane farmers
in the state," she said.
In the last crushing season, the government had fixed the SAP between Rs 205 per quintal and Rs 210 per quintal.
Mayawati said that sugar mills have also been directed to
start crushing within next three days at all cost.
"As compared to previous regimes, the government has
hiked SAP by 65 per cent in the last four years," she said.
Mayawati said that the SAP announced by the government
was higher than Punjab where cane price has been fixed at Rs
220, 225 and 230 per quintal for different categories.
PTI
