Punjab Newsline | New Delhi/Chandigarh
Punjab’s cooperative sugar sector has brought national recognition to the state, with five cooperative sugar mills winning prestigious awards for outstanding performance in financial management, cane development and technical efficiency at the National Cooperative Sugar Industry Conclave-2026 held in New Delhi.
Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian received the awards on behalf of the state from Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari during the conclave organised by the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Limited (NFCSF) at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre.
Among the award winners, Batala Cooperative Sugar Mills Ltd. secured second position in the Financial Management (Other Recovery Area) category. In the Best Cane Development (Other Recovery Area) category, The Fazilka Cooperative Sugar Mills Ltd. and The Budhewal Cooperative Sugar Mills Ltd. both secured second positions.
In the Technical Efficiency (Other Recovery Area) category, The Nakodar Cooperative Sugar Mills Ltd. won second place, while The Bhogpur Cooperative Sugar Mills Ltd. secured third position.
Speaking on the occasion, Khudian said the achievements reflect the Punjab Government’s commitment to strengthening the sugarcane sector through modern farming techniques and improved mill efficiency. He said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, special emphasis is being laid on increasing sugarcane productivity, improving sugar recovery and reducing cultivation costs.
Describing the awards as a matter of pride for Punjab, the minister said the state continues to provide the highest sugarcane price in the country at Rs 416 per quintal, including a state subsidy of Rs 68.50 per quintal.
Khudian informed that the area under sugarcane cultivation in Punjab has increased from 1,11,818 hectares in 2025-26 to 1,16,131 hectares in 2026-27. If weather conditions remain favourable, the state is expected to produce around 700 lakh quintals of sugarcane this season.
He also highlighted the efforts being made to educate farmers through awareness camps jointly organised by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), the Agriculture Department and sugar mills. Farmers are being trained in modern cultivation practices, including wide-row planting, disease-free seed usage, balanced fertiliser application, pest management and mechanisation.
The minister said the state government has launched a special incentive scheme for 2026-27 under which farmers are being provided financial assistance of Rs 3,200 per acre to establish demonstration plots based on recommended sugarcane cultivation practices in selected districts.
Khudian further said that social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube are being used to provide farmers with timely technical information. Around 15,000 farmers have already benefited from 320 training camps conducted by experts and field staff.
To promote mechanisation and address labour shortages, the Punjab Government is providing sugarcane harvesters, small tractors, sugarcane planters and ratoon managers to farmers at a 40 per cent subsidy.
Punjab Cooperation Department Secretary Ajit Bala Joshi and Sugarfed Managing Director Dr Senu Duggal were also present at the award ceremony.
