Unchanged cane prices vs govt claim of clearing higher dues than previous govts

Lucknow: BJP-led UP government is seeking to highlight its success in clearing a higher amount of sugarcane dues in four years than both BSP and SP governments could clear in their respective five-year terms, as its move to keep cane prices unchanged for third year in a row in the middle of already mounting unpaid cane dues could rile up western UP farmers.

The issue of unpaid sugarcane dues has gained fresh political importance. With the sugarcane belt falling in western UP, which has become a key region in the raging farmers’ agitation against three central farm laws, and opposition leaders vociferously invoking the issue, an unchanged cane price could spell further trouble for the government a month before the panchayat polls and a year before the assembly election.

The rates for common and advanced varieties of sugarcane was kept unchanged in a recent meeting at ₹315 and ₹325 per quintal respectively. Sugarcane farmers in UP were owed ₹10,174 crore until September last year and the amount has swelled to nearly ₹13,000 crore.


“During the BSP rule between 2007 and 2012, ₹52,131 crore worth sugarcane dues had been paid while in the SP rule between 2012 and 2017, ₹95,215 crore worth sugarcane dues had been disbursed. During the combined 10 years’ rule of both the governments, ₹1,47,346 crore worth dues were paid while the current Yogi Adityanath government has already paid ₹1,22,251 crore up till now (in nearly four years),” said Suresh Rana, minister for sugarcane development and sugar mills in the state.

Rana said the BJP government has achieved this success despite surplus stocks of sugar with mills and an internationally subdued sugar price. He said it was due to the current regim's efforts that 20 sugar mills shuttered between 2007 and 2017, were started by the BJP government while 11 private mills expanded their capacities.