Maharajganj: Despite sugarcane being a major cash crop, farmers’ interest in sowing it continues to decline. This year too, the area under sugarcane cultivation in the district has reduced by around 400 hectares. Crushing operations have already begun at the district’s two privately run sugar mills, and farmers are busy transporting their harvested cane to the mills, reports Amar Ujala.
Sugarcane has been planted on about 20,000 hectares of agricultural land in the district this season, compared with 20,400 hectares last year. Nearly 40,000 farmers are associated with sugarcane cultivation. The crop is mainly grown in two tehsils of the district—around 15,000 hectares in the Nichlaul area and about 5,000 hectares in Maharajganj tehsil.
However, the problems faced by sugarcane farmers show no sign of easing. Along with adverse weather conditions, they also grapple with systemic issues, the most prominent being delays in payment of cane dues after supply to the mills. In addition, farmers face shortages of agricultural labour required for cultivation. Despite these difficulties, many farmers continue to grow sugarcane.
The District Cane Officer said that in the Siswa area, some farmers did not cultivate sugarcane this year. Farmers with low-lying land in that region faced difficulties in sugarcane farming, which discouraged them. He added that so far about 20% of the sugarcane crop has reached the sugar mills. The current crushing season is expected to continue until around March 25.
Two Government Sugar Mills Remain Closed
At present, only two sugar mills are operational in the district, while two government-owned sugar mills remain shut. The sugar mill in the Pharenda area, operated under the Ministry of Textiles, has been closed since February 1994. The corporation-run sugar mill in Ghughuli has remained closed since 1999. Efforts were made to revive these mills, but they could not be restarted.
Notice Issued to Gadaura Sugar Mill Over Payment Delays
During the current crushing season, the district administration has issued a notice to the Gadaura sugar mill for delaying payments to farmers. The mill has not paid cane dues to farmers since December 8, 2025. At present, outstanding dues against the mill amount to about ₹631.65 lakh.
District Cane Officer Om Prakash Singh Yadav said that both sugar mills have cleared the pending cane payments from the previous season. The sugar mill in the Siswa area has also paid the cane price for the current season, while the Gadaura sugar mill has been served a notice and asked to make payments at the earliest.
