Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed a gathering in Lucknow, detailing the substantial growth in the sugarcane sector and farmers’ welfare over the past eight and a half years. He emphasized that under his leadership, the state has witnessed an 86 rupee increase in the sugarcane support price, a significant boost for farmers.
The CM praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, asserting that the government’s focus on farmer welfare has enabled their prosperity. “Before 2017, sugarcane farming was a loss-making endeavor. Farmers had no direct access to the support price, and middlemen profited,” Yogi said. He also acknowledged the impact of key initiatives like the Soil Health Card, Minimum Support Price (MSP), and the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, which were introduced after Modi’s tenure.
Farmers’ Welfare and MSP Enhancement
Adityanath highlighted that the BJP government’s pro-farmer policies have helped eliminate taxes at mandi levels, ensuring farmers no longer have to face exploitation. “We provide ₹6000 annually under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi to help farmers avoid the clutches of moneylenders,” he said. Additionally, the CM revealed that over the last eight and a half years, sugarcane MSP has increased by ₹86 per quintal, helping farmers secure a better income.
Before the BJP came to power, the sugarcane sector was in dire straits, with many sugar mills in poor condition and the entire industry struggling. “Under the previous regime, Uttar Pradesh’s sugar industry was on the decline. But today, there are 122 functioning sugar mills in the state,” the CM stated. He added that the sugarcane cultivation area had expanded from 20 lakh to 30 lakh hectares, reflecting the growing demand for sugarcane.
Infrastructure and Investment Boost
The CM also discussed significant strides in infrastructure under the BJP-led government. “We have expanded and modernized 42 sugar mills and established four new ones. We’ve also introduced an ethanol and distillery complex to support the sugar sector,” he said. He assured the farmers that, unlike before, no one would claim that sugar mills are closing down. The sugarcane sector, now well-supported with modern facilities, is poised for continued growth.
Sugarcane Payments and Employment Opportunities
CM Yogi also mentioned that over 86 lakh farmers have been freed from debt, and 23 lakh farmers have benefited from irrigation schemes that had been pending for decades. “We’ve waived off bills for 16 lakh private tubewells, and the direct procurement from farmers has eliminated the middlemen’s role,” he added. The CM asserted that the BJP government has paid farmers much more than previous administrations, emphasizing that payments for sugarcane farmers were significantly higher in the past eight and a half years compared to 2007-2017.
Adityanath also pointed out the employment opportunities created in the sugar sector. “Sugar mills alone provide jobs to over 10 lakh people, and more investment is flowing into the sector,” he said. Today, over 2.5 crore farmers in Uttar Pradesh are engaged with sugarcane cultivation, with new investments continuing to pour in.
Future Vision for Uttar Pradesh’s Farmers
Concluding his address, CM Yogi stressed that the government would ensure the timely payments to farmers who have not yet received their dues. He also reaffirmed the BJP government’s commitment to the well-being of farmers and the sustained growth of Uttar Pradesh’s agricultural and sugarcane sectors.
