In a major decision barely months ahead of the upcoming 2022 Assembly elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday announced a Rs 25 per quintal hike in the purchase prices of sugarcane in the State.

The decision of the Yogi Adityanath government also assumes significance, as it came barely a day before the ''Bharat Bandh'' called by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha.

Addressing a meeting of farmers here organised by the BJP''s Kisan Morcha, Adityanath said, "The Government has decided that the variety of sugarcane for which Rs 325 per quintal was paid to farmers, that price has been increased to Rs 350, which will be paid to farmers."

"The Government has also decided to increase the price of ordinary sugarcane variety, to Rs 340 (per quintal) up from Rs 315 (per quintal). The Government has also decided to the hike the value of the ''anupyukt'' (less yielding) variety of sugarcane by Rs 25 per quintal."

Elaborating about the benefits, Adityanath said that this will enable the sugarcane farmers to increase their income by 8 per cent, and will be a transformation in the lives of 45 lakh farmers.

He also said that 119 sugar mills will be operated, and they will be linked with ethanol. The new sugar season starts from next month. When contacted, UP''s Sugarcane Development and Sugar Mills Minister Suresh Rana told PTI, "In Uttar Pradesh, there are three varieties of sugarcane --- early, ordinary and rejected. The early variety constitutes 97 per cent of the sugarcane cultivated (in the state), followed by 2.7 per cent of the ordinary variety and the rejected variety, which constitutes barely 0.3 per cent."

"The MSP (minimum support price) of the early variety has been increased from Rs 325 per quintal to Rs  350 per quintal. Similarly, the MSP of the ordinary variety has been increased to Rs 340 per quintal from Rs 315 per quintal. As far as the rejected variety is concerned, its MSP has been increased from Rs 305 per quintal to Rs 330 per quintal."