UP govt announces ₹30 hike in sugarcane price for 2025–26 season

In a landmark decision aimed at strengthening the welfare of sugarcane farmers, the Uttar Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced a historic hike of ₹30 per quintal in sugarcane prices for the 2025–26 crushing season.

According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the new rates have been fixed at ₹400 per quintal for early varieties and ₹390 per quintal for general varieties. The revision is expected to result in an additional payment of ₹3,000 crore to farmers across the state. The decision reflects the government’s continued commitment to ensuring fair remuneration and economic stability for cultivators.

Since 2017, the Yogi Adityanath government has raised sugarcane prices four times, amounting to a total increase of ₹85 per quintal. State Minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary stated that the new rates will directly benefit millions of farmers engaged in sugarcane cultivation.

Highlighting the scale of financial support, the CMO’s X handle noted that the state government has disbursed ₹2,90,225 crore to sugarcane farmers over the past eight years, compared to ₹1,47,346 crore paid between 2007 and 2017 under previous governments. This represents an additional ₹1,42,879 crore distributed under the current administration.

The sugar industry in Uttar Pradesh has also seen a major revival. At present, 122 sugar mills are operational in the state, ranking second nationally. Over the past eight years, ₹12,000 crore has been invested in the sector, with four new mills established, six closed units revived, and capacity expansion undertaken in 42 mills—equivalent to eight new large mills. Two mills have also installed compressed biogas (CBG) plants to promote green energy.

To enhance transparency and efficiency, the government has implemented the ‘Smart Sugarcane Farmer’ and ‘Smart Ganna Kisan’ systems, which make the entire process of cane area mapping, surveys, calendaring, and slip issuance fully online. Payments are made directly to farmers’ bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system. The Government of India has recognised this model as an example of digital governance in agriculture.

Uttar Pradesh continues to lead the nation in ethanol production, with output increasing from 41 crore litres to 182 crore litres. The number of distilleries has risen from 61 to 97, while sugarcane cultivation has expanded from 20 lakh hectares to 29.51 lakh hectares, reaffirming the state’s position as India’s top sugarcane producer.