Sugar mills paid `88,436 cr so far to cane farmers in 2020-21 season

New Delhi: Sugar mills have paid Rs 88,436 crore to farmers and Rs 4,445 crore is still outstanding for the sugarcane supplied during the marketing year 2020-21 ended September, the government said on Friday.

In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Food and Consumer Affairs Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti informed that cane arrears of farmers as on December 6, stood at Rs 4,445 crore for the 2020-21 marketing year (October-September).

The total payable amount for the 2020-21 marketing year was Rs 92,881 crore, of which Rs 88,436 crore has been already paid.

"Payment of cane price to sugarcane growing farmers by the sugar mills is a continuous process. In sugar seasons 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21, cane price payable to sugarcane farmers on all India basis was Rs 55,340 crore, Rs 83,629 crore, Rs 86,617 crore, Rs 75,907 crore and Rs 92,881 crore respectively," she said.

As a result of various measures taken by the government, the cane dues of farmers for sugar seasons 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 have been reduced to Rs 65 crore, Rs 135 crore, Rs 365 crore, Rs 130 crore and Rs 4,445 crore respectively, as on December 6, 2021.

"There is no major delay in payment to sugarcane farmers... the cane arrears are nominal and are declining," Jyoti said.