INDIA : Sugarcane price to be adequately hiked

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Dear Friends, On March 31, I appeared on live in a panel discussion in the Lok Sabha Channel - 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm - on a discussion on the Sugar Development Fund Amendment Bill-2008 passed by the Parliament. The same was telecast on the same day on 11.00 pm to 12.00 pm -- and on April 1, 2008 on 3.00 pm to 4.00 pm. I had strongly pleaded for the sugarcane farmers. In fact I have been fighting for the cause of sugarcane farmers since long. Bharatiya Krishak Samaj under my leadership was busy lobbying with the Commission on Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) and the government to adequately hike the statutory minimum price (SMP) for sugarcane - Here BELOW is a NEWS report which shows the results of our effort tks & rgds Dr KRISHAN BIR CHAUDHARY - krishanbirchaudhary President Bharatiya Krishak Samaj New Delhi, INDIA - SMP for sugarcane may be raised http://www.financialexpress.com/news/SMP-for-sugarcane-may-be-raised/290691/ ASHOK B SHARMAPosted online: Tuesday , April 01, 2008 at 2328 hrs IST New Delhi , Mar 31 The government is likely to raise the statutory minimum price (SMP) for sugarcane to over Rs 120 per quintal (Rs 125 a quintal + Rs 30 as bonus) for the 2008-09 season. The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) in its recent supplementary report has suggested this hike with a view to bridge the wide gap between the SMP for canes and the minimum support prices (MSPs) for wheat and paddy. According to sources, the CACP has suggested that as the MSP for wheat has been raised from Rs 850 a quintal to Rs 1000 a quintal the existing SMP for canes at Rs 81.18 a quintal would not be viable for cane growers. The gap between the present SMP for canes and MSP for wheat would be about 35%. The CACP while suggesting the hike in SMP

for canes to over Rs 120 a quintal for the basic recovery at 9% has also suggested a premium of Rs 1.40 (instead of Rs 0.90) for every 0.01% recovery above the level. Recently the CCEA on last Thursday had given its approval to the SMP for sugarcane at Rs.81.18 per quintal for a basic recovery of 9% subject to a premium of Rs.0.90 for every 0.1 percentage point increase in the recovery above that level for sugar season 2008-09. This SMP for canes was based on the initial recommendations of CACP, when the recent hikes in MSPs for wheat and paddy were not considered.

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