LAHORE: The Punjab government on Saturday notified the minimum purchase price of sugarcane at Rs4,500 per tonne.

According to another notification issued by the Food Department, the Sugarcane Development Cess for crushing season 2015-16 has been fixed at Rs3 per 40kgs or Rs7.50 per 100kg or Rs75 per metric tonne.

However, the incidence of the cess amount shall be shared equally by the sugar mills and the growers selling sugarcane to the mills. In case the sugarcane is obtained from sugar mills’ own farms, the cess at the rate of Rs3 per 40kgs or Rs7.50 per 100 kgs or Rs75 per tonne shall be paid by the mills.

However, sugar factories can deduct transport charges at the rate of Rs1.25 per 100kgs per km subject to a maximum deduction for a distance of 40kms from the factory gate.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2015