LAHORE: The Punjab government has reportedly approved Rs225 per maund as the minimum purchase price for the sugarcane for the crushing season 2021-22. "A notification in this regard will be issued in next one or two days and start of crushing season will also be notified soon," said sources in the provincial food department on Thursday.

It is pertinent to add that the Sugarcane Control Board, which had been reconstituted by the provincial food department for the crushing season 2021-22, in its maiden meeting had deliberated on the issue of minimum purchase price and stakeholders proposed Rs225 per maund as the price for current season.

The sources said that cost calculation committee of the provincial agriculture department (Crop Reporting Services) quoted the input cost of the current sugarcane crop at Rs180 per maund, and proposed that to give a fair return to the growers support price should be fixed at Rs225 per maund.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021