Lok Sabha Question No. 443 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-05
Subject: Disinterest among Farmers for Sugarcane Cultivation
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: RAMESH POKHRIYAL NISHANK

O.I.H.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.443

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  5 TH  FEBRUARY, 2019

## DISINTEREST AMONG FARMERS FOR SUGARCANE CULTIVATION

443. DR. RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK':

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the farmers are showing disinterest in cultivating sugarcane during the last five years;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, area-wise and State/UT-wise;
- (c) the main causes of farmers' disinterest in cultivating sugarcane;
- (d) whether the sugarcane cultivating farmers are showing interest  in  the production of pulses, flowers, fruits or any other crops;
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the main reasons therefor; and
- (f) the steps taken by the Government to increase the production of sugarcanes to meet the demand of sugar in the country during the last five years?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी ( SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) to (e): State-wise details of area sown under sugarcane crop during each of the last five years i.e. from 2013-14 to 2017-18 are given at Annexure .

The normal area (average of 2012-13 to 2016-17) under sugarcane cultivation in the country  is  48.84  lakh  hectares.  During  2013-14  to  2015-16,  area  under  sugarcane  was estimated  above  the  normal  area  coverage.  The  area  under  sugarcane  declined  to  44.36 lakh  hectares  during  2016-17  due  to  lesser  area  coverage  in  Maharashtra  and  then increased  to  47.32  lakh  hectares  during  2017-18.  The  area  coverage  under  sugarcane further increased to 51.58 lakh hectares during 2018-19 (as per 1 st Advance Estimates).

The area under sugarcane cultivation depends on farmer's preference, shift of area to other  competing  crops,  agro-climatic  conditions,  inter-crop  profitability,  irrigation  facilities, resource availability with farmers and timely payment of cane dues to farmers by the mills etc.

(f): To enhance production and productivity of sugarcane in the country, the Government has been implementing Sugarcane Development Programme under National Food Security Mission  -  Commercial  Crops  (NFSM-CC)  in  13  major  sugarcane  growing  states  of  the country  viz.  Andhra  Pradesh,  Bihar,  Gujarat,  Haryana,  Karnataka,  Madhya  Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh from 2014-15. Under this scheme thrust has been given on transfer of technology through frontline demonstrations  and  training  in  order  to  extend  benefits  to  the  farmers.  The  components under  NFSM-CC  Sugarcane  include  demonstration  on  inter-cropping  and  single  bud  chip technology with sugarcane, assistance for breeder seed production, production / supply of tissue  culture  plantlets/seedlings,  distribution  of  plant  protection  chemicals  and  bio-agents, etc.

The Central Government also fixes Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane, well in advance of sowing season, to induce farmers to sow sugarcane. FRP is a minimum benchmark price below which sugar mills cannot purchase cane from the cane growers.

The  states  can  also  support  Sugarcane  Development  Programme  under  Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) with the approval of State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLCC).

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## Annexure

## Annexure referred to in reply to parts (a) to (e) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.443 due for reply on 05.02.2019

## Area of Sugarcane during 2013-14 to 2017-18

| STATES/UT         | Area (000 Hectares)   | Area (000 Hectares)   | Area (000 Hectares)   | Area (000 Hectares)   | Area (000 Hectares)   |
|-------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
| STATES/UT         | 2013-14               | 2014-15               | 2015-16               | 2016-17               | 2017-18*              |
| Andhra Pradesh    | 153.0                 | 139.0                 | 122.0                 | 103.0                 | 99.0                  |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 1.6                   | 1.5                   | 2.0                   | 1.8                   | #                     |
| Assam             | 29.1                  | 29.9                  | 29.5                  | 31.4                  | 30.0                  |
| Bihar             | 258.1                 | 254.3                 | 244.0                 | 239.6                 | 236.2                 |
| Chhattisgarh      | 8.5                   | 18.5                  | 35.5                  | 20.8                  | 29.9                  |
| Gujarat           | 174.0                 | 208.0                 | 157.0                 | 169.0                 | 182.0                 |
| Goa               | 0.9                   | 0.8                   | 0.0                   | 0.9                   | #                     |
| Haryana           | 102.0                 | 97.0                  | 93.0                  | 102.0                 | 114.0                 |
| Himachal Pradesh  | 1.5                   | 1.6                   | 1.9                   | 1.7                   | 1.6                   |
| Jammu & Kashmir   | 0.0                   | 1.3                   | 0.2                   | 0.0                   | 1.0                   |
| Jharkhand         | 6.7                   | 6.8                   | 10.2                  | 7.4                   | 7.5                   |
| Karnataka         | 420.0                 | 480.0                 | 450.0                 | 397.0                 | 350.0                 |
| Kerala            | 2.2                   | 1.5                   | 1.4                   | 1.1                   | 1.1                   |
| Madhya Pradesh    | 73.1                  | 111.0                 | 103.0                 | 92.0                  | 98.0                  |
| Maharashtra       | 937.0                 | 1030.0                | 987.0                 | 633.3                 | 902.0                 |
| Manipur           | 5.9                   | 5.9                   | 6.0                   | 6.0                   | #                     |
| Meghalaya         | 0.1                   | 0.1                   | 0.1                   | 0.1                   | #                     |
| Mizoram           | 1.4                   | 1.5                   | 1.5                   | 1.6                   | #                     |
| Nagaland          | 4.3                   | 4.4                   | 4.4                   | 4.4                   | #                     |
| Odisha            | 14.2                  | 10.1                  | 9.0                   | 5.5                   | 3.7                   |
| Punjab            | 89.0                  | 94.0                  | 90.0                  | 88.0                  | 96.0                  |
| Rajasthan         | 5.3                   | 5.6                   | 6.1                   | 6.9                   | 5.4                   |
| Tamil Nadu        | 313.3                 | 263.1                 | 252.3                 | 218.3                 | 179.7                 |
| Telangana         | 39.0                  | 38.0                  | 35.0                  | 29.0                  | 35.0                  |
| Tripura           | 1.0                   | 0.0                   | 0.8                   | 0.8                   | #                     |
| Uttar Pradesh     | 2228.0                | 2140.8                | 2169.0                | 2160.0                | 2234.0                |
| Uttarakhand       | 104.3                 | 101.7                 | 96.9                  | 93.0                  | 90.0                  |
| West Bengal       | 17.0                  | 17.7                  | 17.4                  | 21.0                  | 19.2                  |
| A & N Islands     | 0.3                   | 0.2                   | 0.0                   | 0.1                   | #                     |
| D & N Havelli     | 0.7                   | 0.7                   | 0.2                   | 0.2                   | #                     |
| Pondicherry       | 2.0                   | 1.9                   | 1.8                   | 0.0                   | #                     |
| Others            | NA                    | NA                    | NA                    | NA                    | 16.7                  |
| All India         | 4993.3                | 5066.8                | 4927.1                | 4435.7                | 4732.0                |

NA - Not Applicable

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