LAHORE: The sugarcane crushing season will start in the province on Nov 25 as the Punjab government has issued a notification in this regard, besides fixing the support price at Rs 400 per maund.
As per separate notifications, the Punjab governor under section 8 of the Punjab Sugar Factories (Control) Act, 1950 (XXII of 1950), has approved that the sugar factories in the province should start sugarcane crushing from November 25, 2023.
While in exercise of the powers under section 16, read with Rule 13(3) of the rules, the governor has announced minimum purchase price of sugarcane at the factory gate and the cane purchase centres for the crushing season 2023-24 at Rs400 per 40kg.
However, the sugar factories may deduct from purchase price, the transportation charges incurred by them on the cane purchased at purchase centres and other locations away from the factory gate at the rate of Rs1.5 per quintal (100Kg) per kilometer subject to a maximum deduction for a distance of 40 Kilometers from the factory gate the notification says.
Through another notification, sugarcane Development Cess has been fixed at the rate of Rs5 per 40 kilograms. The incidences of the Cess amount shall be shared equally by the sugar mills and the grower, it says.
However, the cess shall be paid at the rate of Rs5 per 40kg by the sugar mill in case the sugarcane is obtained by it from its own farm. -PR
