Punjab Cooperation and Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, on Monday, announced formation of a task force to work out for the comprehensive plan to increase the income of sugarcane farmers.
Divulging more, Cheema informed, representatives of Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Sugarcane Breeding Institute Coimbatore, Punjab Sugarfed and experts from all over the country to be included in the task force for increasing per acre yield of sugarcane for further boosting farmers’ income, adding that the task force is entrusted upon the responsibility to prepare a draft in three months. Cheema said that the target to increase the sugarcane yield by at least 100 quintals per acre in the next two years has been set, which would further increase the income per acre up till around Rs.36,000. Under this scheme seed of high breed varieties to the sugarcane farmers will be provided besides imparting them knowledge on modern techniques in sugarcane cultivation and training on mechanisation. Mr. Cheema also informed that under the leadership of Chief Minister Mr. Bhagwant Mann, the Punjab government will draft a plan to modernize the cooperative sugar mills to make them self-reliant for improving performance. A committee comprising of Vice Chancellor Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana, Director Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Sugarcane Breeding Institute Coimbatore, Managing Director Sugarfed and representatives of sugar industry organizations from across the country, will be constituted. The Cooperation Minister directed officers to prepare training program in consultation with the Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore and Vasantdada Institute to impart modern techniques of sugarcane cultivation to sugarcane cultivators besides getting about 30 lakh saplings of high yielding varieties of sugarcane for the upcoming sugarcane sowing season.
