UP Government Clears 90% of Sugarcane Dues for Farmers

The Uttar Pradesh government has cleared 90% of the outstanding sugarcane dues of farmers, amounting to Rs 32,357 crore out of Rs 35,909 crore. Sugarcane Development Minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary announced this achievement and highlighted the state's leading position in sugarcane production and payment.

About 90 per cent of the outstanding sugarcane dues of farmers in UP has been cleared, Sugarcane Development Minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary said on Monday.

Replying to a question raised by SP member Ashutosh Sinha in the state legislative council, Chaudhary stated that the government has purchased sugarcane worth Rs 35,909 crore, out of which Rs 32,357 crore, or 90.11 per cent of the outstanding dues, has been paid.

The minister assured that the remaining dues would be cleared as soon as the next sugarcane crushing season begins. During the 2022-23 crushing season, except for Rs 213 crore due on the Shamli mill, 99.99 per cent of sugarcane dues have been paid to farmers.

Chaudhary emphasized that Uttar Pradesh ranks first in sugarcane production and price payment in the country. He highlighted that for the first time in state history, 82 sugar mills paid 100 per cent of their sugarcane price in the last season, with weekly payments from 21 mills.

He further noted that from 2007 to 2017, the Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party governments paid Rs 1.47 lakh crore to sugarcane farmers, while the current BJP-led government has paid Rs 2.53 lakh crore in the last seven years. Additionally, Rs 11,000 crore of sugarcane price dues from the previous SP government have also been cleared under the BJP administration.

The minister concluded by stating that sugarcane is now produced on 29 lakh hectares, up from 20 lakh hectares during the previous government.