Rohtak cane growers demand ₹600/quintal

Balwan Singh, a local Kisan Sabha leader associated with cane growers, said farmers were being forced to reconsider sugarcane cultivation as returns had failed to keep pace with input costs

Sugarcane growers from Rohtak demanded that the Haryana government raise the cane price to ₹600 per quintal, arguing that the existing state advised price (SAP) of ₹415 per quintal does not adequately cover the cost of cultivation.

Farmer organisations have been demanding ₹600 per quintal, citing increased expenditure on fertilisers, labour, irrigation and other farm inputs, besides improved sugar and ethanol realisations. (HT File)

The farmers associated with the Meham Cooperative Sugar Mill held a panchayat and submitted two sets of demands to cane manager Jitendra Singh, one concerning issues related to the mill and the other addressed to chief minister Nayab Singh Saini.

Balwan Singh, a local Kisan Sabha leader associated with cane growers, said farmers were being forced to reconsider sugarcane cultivation as returns had failed to keep pace with input costs.

“This is a year-round crop for us. The sugar and ethanol industries are making profits, but the farmer growing the cane is incurring losses. Many are being forced to abandon sugarcane,” he said.

Haryana’s current SAP for sugarcane is ₹415 per quintal for early varieties and ₹408 for mid and late varieties. The Centre’s fair and remunerative price (FRP) for the 2026-27 sugar season, beginning in October, has been fixed at ₹365 per quintal linked to a 10.25% sugar recovery rate.

Farmer organisations have been demanding ₹600 per quintal, citing increased expenditure on fertilisers, labour, irrigation and other farm inputs, besides improved sugar and ethanol realisations.

The panchayat also raised several demands concerning the Meham mill. Farmers sought commencement of crushing operations in the first week of November, measures to improve sugar recovery, including the use of sweet water, and repair and renovation of the mill before the new crushing season.

They also demanded peeling machines and repair of roads connecting villages with the sugarmill, arguing that poor road conditions could delay cane transportation and increase losses for growers.