India, Nov. 27 -- Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday announced an increased state advised price (SAP) of Rs.416 per quintal for sugarcane for the upcoming crushing season - Rs.15 higher than last year's rate of Rs.401 and currently the highest SAP in the country, overtaking Haryana's Rs.415.

Speaking to the media after inaugurating the New Sugar Mill and Co-Generation Plant at Dinanagar in Gurdaspur district, Mann said Punjab had again become the first state in the country to fix such a high sugarcane price. He said the increase would benefit farmers, particularly in border districts where sugarcane plays a major role in crop diversification.

"Sugarcane serves as an ideal alternative crop that can further strengthen the state's d...