Lucknow, Oct 29: The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has announced a ₹30 per quintal increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sugarcane for the 2024–26 crushing season. With this revision, the MSP for the early variety has been fixed at ₹400 per quintal, while the normal variety will fetch ₹390 per quintal, benefiting lakhs of sugarcane farmers across the state. The hike is expected to result in an additional payment of ₹3,000 crore to farmers.
Sugarcane Development Minister Chaudhary Laxmi Narain said the state government has raised sugarcane prices four times since 2017, ensuring record payments to cultivators. “From 2007 to 2017, only ₹1,47,346 crore was paid to farmers. In contrast, since 2017, payments worth ₹2,90,225 crore have been made,” the minister said.
Currently, Uttar Pradesh operates 122 sugar mills, the second-highest in the country. The minister noted that previous administrations had weakened the industry by selling 21 mills at nominal prices. In contrast, the present government’s transparent management has attracted investments worth ₹12,000 crore into the sector.
Over the past eight years, four new mills have been established, six previously closed units reopened, and 42 mills expanded their capacity—equivalent to setting up eight new large mills. Additionally, two mills have installed compressed biogas (CBG) plants to enhance sustainability.
Highlighting the government’s digital reforms, Narain said the “Smart Sugarcane Farmer” system has made the sugarcane slip process completely online, eliminating middlemen. Payments are now made directly into farmers’ bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
The centralized, web-based system also manages sugarcane acreage, forecasting, and scheduling. The Government of India has recognized it as a “model system” for transparency and efficiency.
Uttar Pradesh also leads the nation in ethanol production, with output increasing from 41 crore liters to 182 crore liters, and the number of distilleries rising from 61 to 97.
With sugarcane acreage expanding from 20 lakh hectares to 29.51 lakh hectares, the state continues to hold the top position in India’s sugarcane production.