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Haryana sugarcane yield drops sharply; minister blames erratic rainfall, rise in farm wages
Sugarcane output in Haryana is estimated to be 536.24 lakh quintals in 2025-26, a fall of nearly 38% in 5 years.
Sugarcane is a highly labour-intensive crop, requiring substantial manpower from sowing to harvesting. (Representative Image)
Haryana Cooperation Minister Arvind Kumar Sharma stated Friday that the average yield of sugarcane in the state has shown a continuous decline from 2020-21 to 2024-25, with the sole exception of 2022-23. According to him, during 2025-26, the average yield of sugarcane is estimated at 329.59 quintals per acre, which is 5.2 per cent (18.09 quintals) lower than the average yield of 347.68 quintals per acre recorded in 2020-21. Sharma mentioned the figures while replying to a Calling Attention Motion tabled during the ongoing budget session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha.
The minister explained that as a result of this decline, the total production of sugarcane during 2025-26 is estimated at 536.24 lakh quintals, which is 37.55 per cent (322.54 lakh quintals) lower than the 858.78 lakh quintals produced in 2020-21. He further informed that in 2020-21, the area under sugarcane cultivation stood at 246,357 acres, which rose to 263,499 acres in 2021-22 and further to 266,142 acres in 2022-23. However, after 2022-23, the cultivated area has been continuously declining. “Due to the reduction in the area under sugarcane cultivation, the availability of sugarcane for crushing in sugar mills has declined. For the current year, it is estimated at 509.47 lakh quintals. As a result, the working days of sugar mills are expected to be limited to 108 days,” said Sharma.
He emphasized that sugarcane is a highly labour-intensive crop, requiring substantial manpower from sowing to harvesting. “Over time, the availability of labour has continuously declined, and labour wages have increased. As a result, farmers are interested in growing other crops. The limited availability of agricultural machinery for sugarcane harvesting is also a major reason for the reduction in area under sugarcane cultivation,” he added.
The minister pointed out that in Haryana, about 50 per cent of sugarcane sowing takes place after the wheat harvest. “In recent years, sudden changes in weather have been observed. Although the monsoon in Haryana generally becomes active in the first week of July, due to climatic changes, rainfall has been occurring from the beginning of April in recent years. As a result, germination and tillering of sugarcane have been adversely affected, leading to a decline in average yield and total production,” he said.
He also noted that climate change has affected some early varieties of sugarcane, such as Co‑0238 and Co‑0118, which have been impacted by top borer, root borer, and wilt disease. This has further contributed to reduced yields and production. According to him, these early varieties have consistently shown lower yield and production than expected in recent years.
Agriculture department schemes
Sharing details of schemes adopted by the agriculture department to increase sugarcane area and make the crop more profitable, Sharma said that to ensure timely payment to farmers for their produce, the government declares the maximum State Advised Price (SAP) every year. He explained that the department disseminates information on the latest sugarcane cultivation techniques from sowing to harvesting through farmer meetings, fairs, and farmer‑scientist interactions held from time to time.
Furthermore, under the Technology Mission on Sugarcane scheme, a subsidy of Rs. 3,000 per acre is provided to farmers for planting sugarcane in wide row spacing to increase productivity. In the budget for the financial year 2026-27, the government has proposed to raise this incentive to Rs 5,000 per acre. Healthy and disease-free seed is also made available to farmers, for which a subsidy of Rs 5,000 per acre is provided.
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