KARACHI: The Sindh caretaker government has set a minimum support price of Rs425 per maund for the upcoming 2023-24 sugarcane crop season.
This decision was formalised during a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Justice Maqbool Baqar at the CM House, and attended by Chief Secretary Dr Fakhre Alam, Advocate General Sindh Hassan Akbar, Secretary Finance Kazim Jatoi, Secretary Agriculture Aijaz Shah, Secretary Food Nasir Abbas, and other stakeholders.
During the meeting, Secretary of Agriculture Aijaz Shah presented the per-acre cost of sugarcane cultivation, calculated at Rs244,984, with an average yield of 650 maunds per acre, resulting in a cost of Rs377 per 40kg. Adding a 12.7 percent profit margin to cover expenses, the minimum price was determined at Rs425 per 40 kg.
The chief secretary, in another meeting with the agriculture department, proposed a minimum price of Rs425 per 40 kg, suggesting that a 15pc profit margin, as requested by agriculturists, would increase the price to Rs434 per 40 kg.
The chief minister approved the minimum sugarcane price of Rs425 per 40 kg and instructed the chief secretary to seek cabinet approval through circulation.
In the same meeting, the agriculture secretary provided an overview of the department’s structure and strategy, consisting of 12 wings covering various aspects of agriculture.
The chief minister expressed concerns about the department’s performance, urging the secretary to increase the effectiveness of each wing and consider the closure of non-performing ones.
The agriculture department’s strategy focuses on modernising research, promoting mechanised agriculture, establishing a robust market information system, enhancing agricultural extension services, improving water management, and combating hoarding and smuggling of essential commodities in collaboration with district administration and law enforcement agencies.
Addressing concerns about growers purchasing certified seeds from Punjab or Chinese sources, the chief minister directed the chief secretary to conduct a thorough review of the organisation of the agriculture department, considering the consolidation or closure of underperforming wings.
