Chandigarh, May 31: The Punjab Government today fixed the State Agreed Price (SAP) of advanced, medium and late variety of Sugarcane at Rs 290, Rs 280 and Rs 275 per quintal respectively for the crushing season of 2013-14.

A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting of Sugarcane Control Board chaired by the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here at Chief Minister's residence this morning. It may be recalled that the state government had already fixed the SAP of advanced, medium and late variety of Sugarcane at Rs 250, Rs 240 and Rs 235 per quintal respectively for the crushing season of 2012-13.

On the pressing demand of the farmers, the Chief Minister asked the Financial Commissioner Development (FCD) to chalk out a plan to upgrade the Co-operative Sugar Mill Bhogpur by enhancing its crushing capacity. He also mentioned that the state government would make budgetary provisions in future to overcome the situation arising out of gap payments. Mr. Badal further assured that to facilitate the farmers Primary Agricultural societies (PASs) would provide sugarcane harvesting machinery to them at nominal rates for which the government had already initiated a plan to provide all type of agricultural equipments at subsidized rates to the entire PASs.