LAHORE: The Food Department Punjab on Saturday issued a notification with regard to start of crushing season 2020-21 by virtue of which mills situated in the southern part of the province will commence crushing from November 10 while mills in rest of the Punjab will begin crushing of cane from November 15, 2020.

The notification read as that under the section 8 of the Punjab Sugar Factories (Control) Act 1950, the occupiers of sugar factories in divisions Bahawalpur, Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan shall start crushing of sugarcane not later than 10th November, 2020. While the occupiers of sugar factories situated in the rest of the province of the Punjab shall start crushing of sugarcane not later than 15th November, 2020.

It may be added that introducing an amendment in the Sugar Factories (Control) Ordinance 2020, the Punjab Government has made it binding on the sugar millers to start crushing season on a date specified by the government instead of at the will of the millers. The objective of this amendment has been said to save the growers from delaying tactics of sugar millers. Meanwhile, the provincial government also issued a notification the other day fixing minimum purchase price of the sugarcane at Rs 200 per maund making an increase of Rs 10 from the last year’s minimum purchase price of Rs 190 per maund.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020