Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has demanded that the Haryana government fix the sugarcane procurement price at Rs. 500 per quintal, citing heavy crop losses due to floods and rising cultivation costs.
Speaking to the media at the office of Congress candidate Raman Tyagi, Hooda said that a large portion of the state’s sugarcane crop has been destroyed by floods. “The crop that has survived must be purchased at Rs. 500 per quintal. For years, the state government has made only minimal increases in sugarcane prices, while the cost of cultivation continues to rise. As a result, farmers now see cane farming as a losing proposition,” he said.
Hooda pointed out that the cost of pesticides, urea, diesel, and electricity has risen sharply. This year, farmers had to spend thousands of rupees on pesticides to combat crop diseases that stunted sugarcane growth. “Given these expenses, the government must announce a fair price of Rs. 500 per quintal,” he added.
Congress leader Raman Tyagi also supported the demand, recalling that in 2023, the cane price was Rs.372 per quintal, which farmers protested against. After the agitation, the price was raised to Rs.386 per quintal. In 2024, the Manohar Lal government announced Rs.400 per quintal, but Tyagi argued that the increase was still insufficient compared to the rising cost of cultivation.
He further highlighted that during Hooda’s 10-year tenure as Chief Minister, the sugarcane price had risen by Rs. 193 per quintal, from Rs.117 to Rs. 310. “The same approach is needed now to protect farmers’ interests,” Tyagi said.
