CCEA approves increase in sugarcane FRP by Rs 10 to Rs 285/quintal for 2020-21: Sources

It is in line with the recommendation of the Commission of Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), a statutory body that advises the government on the pricing policy for major farm produce, they added.

The Centre on Wednesday decided to increase the minimum price sugar mills pay to sugarcane growers by Rs 10 to Rs 285 per quintal for the next marketing year starting October 2020, according to official sources. A decision to increase the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for 2020-21 marketing year (October-September) was taken in the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) held here.

According to the sources, the CCEA has approved the Food Ministry’s proposal on increasing the sugarcane FRP by Rs 10 per quintal from the existing Rs 275 per quintal. It is in line with the recommendation of the Commission of Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), a statutory body that advises the government on the pricing policy for major farm produce, they added.

The FRP, which is determined under Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966, is the minimum price that sugar mills have to pay to sugarcane farmers. Major sugarcane producing states such as Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana fix their own sugarcane price called ‘state advisory prices’ (SAPs), which are usually higher than the Centre’s FRP.

The government estimates the country’s total sugar production to be 28-29 million tonne in the current year ending next month, compared to 33.1 million tonnes during 2018-19 due to sharp fall in cane acreage in Maharashtra and Karnataka.