All steps being taken for timely payment to cane growers

The Haryana government today said it is taking all possible steps to ensure timely payment of arrears to the cane growers in the state.
Haryana Minister of State for Cooperation Bikram Singh Yadav today said the status of cane price, arrears outstanding against the sugar mills is regularly being monitored, he said a loan of Rs 190 crore has been provided by the state government for clearance of outstanding dues in 2014-15.
An amount of Rs 290 crore has also been provided in the budget 2015-16 under the head "loan to co-operative sugar mills" to make it possible for the Cooperative Sugar mills to clear cane payments, as early as possible, after the close of the crushing season 2014-15, he said.

During the ongoing Budget session in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Yadav was replying to a question raised by MLA Parminder Singh Dhull about difficulties faced by the sugarcane growing farmers of Haryana in getting the amount of their crops.
Yadav said that during the current season 2014-15 till March 10, 2015, all sugar mills have purchased 404.34 lakh quintals of cane worth Rs 1,234.05 crore against which an amount of Rs 621.44 crore has been paid.
The outstanding cane dues of the cooperative sugar mills in Haryana stand at Rs 431.55 crore and private ones stand at Rs 181.06 crore as on March 10, 2015, he said.

He said at present, 11 cooperative and three private sugar mills are operational in Haryana.

Crushing capacity of all 11 Cooperative Sugar Mills is 27,300 TCD (Crushing in Tonnes per day) and crushing capacity of the three Private Sugar Mills is 18,000 TCD.
The total area under sugarcane for the season 2014-15 is 3,58,062 acres.
Out of this, an area of 2,12,805 acres is under cooperative sector and 1,45,257 acres is under private sector sugar mills, he said.
The Minister said the state government has enhanced the sugarcane price by Rs 9 per quintal for early variety and by Rs10 per qtl for mid and late varieties for the season 2014-15.

This price is highest ever-State Advised price in the country.
He said that State Advised Price (SAP) of sugarcane had increased by 40.91 per cent from Rs 220 per qtl. In 2010-11 to Rs 310 per qtl. In 2014-15.