Sugar mills owe farmers Rs 4,445 crore in cane dues for the 2020-21 season (October-September), with the highest arrears in Uttar Pradesh, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. A total of Rs 92,804 crore was been aside for farmers’ sugarcane prices in the 2020-21 season. According to statistics presented to the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Food Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Rs 88,359 crore has been paid and the remaining Rs 4,445 crore dues are outstanding.
Sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh are expected to clear a maximum of Rs 3,752 crore in cane dues during the 2020-21 season, followed by Rs 394 crore in Maharashtra, Rs 64 crore in Chhattisgarh, and Rs 63 crore in Haryana, according to the statistics.
In Uttarakhand, Rs 52 crore is owed to farmers, Rs 44 crore is owed to farmers in Gujarat, Rs 37 crore is owed to farmers in Andhra Pradesh, Rs 25 crore is owed to farmers in Tamil Nadu, and Rs 9 crore is owed to farmers in Punjab, according to the report.
According to the data, there are still Rs 130 crore in cane dues for the 2019-20 season, and Rs 365 crore for the 2018-19 season.
Farmers’ cane dues data is received from the appropriate state governments, according to the minister.
State governments have the authority to enforce the terms of the Sugarcane (Control) Order 1966 relating to the payment of cane dues to farmers since they have the necessary field information, she said.