Chandigarh: Leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, on Monday demanded that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab govt immediately announce a state advised price (SAP) of Rs 450 per quintal for sugarcane for the 2025–26 crushing season. This demand is in line with the escalating cost of cultivation and aims to safeguard the interests of thousands of sugarcane farmers across the state, he said.
Bajwa asserted, "Due to the steep rise in labour wages, herbicides/pesticides, and input costs, sugarcane cultivation has become increasingly expensive, leaving farmers struggling to recover even their basic production expenses."
He stated, "The cane growers have been working tirelessly and are barely breaking even. It is the duty of the state govt to ensure that they receive a fair and remunerative price. I firmly demand that the SAP be fixed at Rs 450 per quintal without any further delay."
He pointed out that chief minister Bhagwant Mann, in Nov 2024, claimed credit for announcing the highest SAP in the country at Rs 401 per quintal. "However, Haryana has now raised its SAP for the 2025–26 season to Rs 415 per quintal, surpassing Punjab.
When neighbouring states are stepping up to support their farmers, why is Punjab lagging behind? The AAP govt must act promptly to restore the confidence of cane cultivators," Bajwa remarked.
The senior Congress leader also expressed deep concern over the widespread crop devastation caused by floods in nine districts of Punjab this year. "In the remaining parts of the state, paddy yields have suffered a significant setback due to dwarf and false smut diseases. With paddy and other crops badly affected, farmers are pinning all their hopes on the sugarcane harvest. The govt must stand by them in this hour of need," he stated.
