Punjab Cooperation and Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday announced formation of a task force to work out for the comprehensive plan to increase the income of sugarcane farmers.

“Representatives of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Ludhiana, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Sugarcane Breeding Institute Coimbatore, Punjab Sugarfed, and experts from all over the country will be included in the task force for increasing per acre yield of sugarcane for further boosting farmers’ income,” said Cheema, adding that the task force is entrusted upon the responsibility to prepare a draft in three months.

Cheema said that the target to increase the sugarcane yield by at least 100 quintals per acre in the next two years has been set, which would further increase the income per acre up till around Rs 36,000.

Under this scheme, seed of high breed varieties to the sugarcane farmers will be provided besides imparting them knowledge on modern techniques in sugarcane cultivation and training on mechanisation, he added.

Cheema said that Punjab Government will also draft a plan to modernize the cooperative sugar mills to make them self-reliant for improving performance. 

A committee comprising Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana Vice Chancellor, Indian Council of Agricultural Research director, Sugarcane Breeding Institute Coimbatore, Sugarfed Managing Director, and representatives of sugar industry organizations from across the country, will be constituted.

Also, the Minister directed the officers to prepare training program, in consultation with the Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, and Vasantdada Institute, to impart modern techniques of sugarcane cultivation to the cultivators besides getting about 30 lakh saplings of high yielding varieties of sugarcane for the upcoming sugarcane sowing season.