LUCKNOW: In a politically crucial development, state government is all set to decide the new state advisory price for cane growers for crushing season schedule to start by the end of this month.

Come Monday, a high level cane price fixation committee headed by UP chief secretary will meet representatives of farmers and sugar industries before taking final call on SAP. The cane price fixation will be crucial for the forthcoming season as the ruling Samajwadi Party gets into poll mode in the wake of UP assembly elections due in 2017.

For two consecutive years SAP has remained unchanged at the rate of Rs 280 per quintal. While farmers are currently pressing for increase in SAP to Rs 350 per quintal, the powerful cane lobby is in no mood to budge from its earlier stand of having a diminished paying capacity in the wake of sugar glut.