Surjewala says Haryana sugarcane farmers suffering losses; seeks state advised price of Rs 500

Yamunanagar, Dec 12 (PTI) Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Friday said sugarcane farmers in Haryana are facing heavy losses due to rising production costs and low returns.

He said sugarcane farming has become unprofitable as diesel prices, land lease rates, labour charges, irrigation expenses and machinery costs have all increased sharply. Prices of pesticides and fertilisers, including urea, DAP, and potash, have also gone up, adding to farmers' financial burden.

Surjewala said the BJP government has ignored farmers' demands and raised the state advised price (SAP) of sugarcane by only Rs 12, which he termed an "insult" to farmers.

Citing government data, he said Haryana's sugarcane production fell to 88.60 lakh metric tonnes in 2023 and the area under sugarcane has come down from 3.5 lakh acres to 2.5 lakh acres.

Due to low supply, several sugar mills are struggling to continue operations, he said.

Surjewala warned that farm crisis will harm the state's and the country's economy. He demanded that the SAP be increased to Rs 500 per quintal.

He said the Congress has submitted a memorandum to the governor through the deputy commissioner to raise farmers' concerns with the state government. PTI VSD TRB