Sugar crushing season to start on 20th: Punjab fixes wheat support price at Rs4,000 per maund

LAHORE: The Punjab government has fixed the support price of wheat for the ongoing season at Rs 4000 per maund while the minimum purchase price for sugarcane has been fixed at Rs 400 per maund.

The crushing season for sugar production will start from November 20 this year, said the Punjab Agriculture Minister S M Tanveer and Provincial Information Minister Aamir Mir while addressing a joint press conference here on Wednesday.

Both the ministers said a decision to this effect was taken in a meeting which held with Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi in the chair.

The meeting took some important decisions to ensure proper financial compensation to the farmers for their hard work. The wheat release policy had also been approved in the meeting, while it had been decided to ban all types of quotas regarding wheat release.

Agriculture Minister S M Tanveer said wheat would be cultivated on an area of 16 million acres with a production target of 40 maund per acre.

To achieve the production target, the government would ensure the availability of seeds, fertilizers, water and other agricultural inputs. He said the support price of wheat was fixed at Rs 4,000 per maund while the release price for flour mills had been fixed at Rs.4700 per maund.

He said the quota system was causing problems in the issue of wheat, so the government had decided to impose a complete ban on the quota system. “This decision of the government will stabilize the prices of flour in the market,” the minister opined.

In response to a question, the provincial minister said the government was taking all necessary steps to protect the interests of farmers. The wheat and flour situation would be monitored and reviewed every fortnight, he added.

Minister Aamir Mir said that the caretaker government of Punjab was working on programmes for the welfare of journalists and the chief minister would give good news to the journalists at the beginning of the new year.

The provincial minister said that the 8th Thal Desert Rally will be held from November 09 to 12. He said 100 drivers including women drivers would participate in this rally while dirt bikes and quad bikes would also participate.

During the press conference, Aamir Mir unveiled the trophy of Thal Desert Rally.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023