Government mills in Uttar Pradesh have paid more than Rs 1,00,000 crore for sugarcane bought from 47 lakh farmers in the past three years, which Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said is a record.
The government has paid Rs 1,00,325 crore to sugarcane farmers so far in the last three years.
This is Rs 46,633 crore more than the combined procured price of sugarcane of Rs 53,367 crore across the three previous years from 2014 to 2017, said Adityanath, referring to the period when the Samajwadi Party government led by Akhilesh Yadav was in power.
Adityanath took over the reins of the state in March 2017.
He said the payment to farmers during 2017 to 2020 is Rs 4,785 crore more than the cumulative payout of Rs 95,215 crore paid during 2012-2017 period, said the release. Also, the outstanding sugarcane payment to farmers worth Rs 4,466 crore pending during the 2012-2017 period was also paid from 2017 till 2020 to the growers.
“The government is constantly working to double the income of farmers. Our commitment is to pay every penny of the sugarcane farmers," said Adityanath during an interaction with farmers through video conferencing at an event organised by the Department of Sugar Industry and Cane Development on Friday.
Adityanath said the coronavirus lockdown had also proved to be a challenge for farming as sugarcane and wheat crops were standing in the fields and the interest of farmers was also kept in mind. "We decided we would procure wheat and sugarcane, while complying with all the lockdown rules. As long as there is a single sugarcane crop in the farmers' fields, the sugar mills will operate,” he said.
Adityanath said the sugarcane department successfully operated 119 sugar mills in the state during the lockdown.
In the current crushing season in 2019-2020, the sugar mills of the state have crushed 1,116 lakh tonnes of sugarcane and produced 126.5 lakh tonnes of sugar. The crushing of cane and sugar production is the highest in the history of state, he said.
Though sugar sales remained negligible during the lockdown period, Rs 5,953 crore was paid to farmers in this period.
Sugarcane Minister Suresh Rana said the government's top priority is to ensure farmers get sugarcane price payments and are determined to promote their economic interests combined with their all-round development.
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