Nizamabad: Sugarcane cultivation in Telangana has seen a dramatic fall, with farmers increasingly turning to paddy due to low prices, lack of awareness, and rising uncertainty. For generations, sugarcane was widely grown across the region for jaggery and sugar production, reports Deccan Chronicle.
In the early 2000s, the crop covered nearly 10 lakh acres. Today, that area has shrunk to just 35,641 acres. The Agriculture Department had estimated that sugarcane could be cultivated on 59,275 acres this year, but only Sangareddy district has shown notable activity, recording 27,140 acres—the highest in the state.
Sugarcane is highly sensitive to both heavy rains and drought. Earlier, farmers in the combined districts of Nizamabad, Medak, and Karimnagar cultivated it extensively. However, the closure of Nizam Deccan Sugar Limited’s main unit in Bodhan and its branches in Metpally and Medak caused a sharp decline. The shutdown of the Nizamabad Cooperative Sugar Factory and several private units further deepened the crisis.
While sugarcane-based ethanol production has revived the sector in many other states, Telangana continues to struggle. In several regions across India, support prices announced by state governments have helped farmers and mills stay afloat.
A farmer from Bodhan, said his family stopped growing sugarcane after NDSL shut down. “Sugarcane takes a full year to grow but does not demand much stress,” he said. He recalled that former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and former Nizamabad MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha had assured farmers that Nizam Sugars would be revived, but the factory never reopened.
Naveen also criticised some elected representatives for failing to support government-run mills. He said reopening cooperative and state-operated factories would greatly benefit farmers. He added that farmers now spend nearly ₹1 lakh per acre to cultivate sugarcane.
“Farmers across the country are receiving ₹3,550 per quintal for sugarcane. In Uttar Pradesh, an additional ₹400 per quintal is given, while Haryana and Punjab provide ₹415 and ₹420 respectively. Ethanol production has made sugarcane more profitable nationwide. The Telangana government should take steps to promote sugarcane farming. At present, only private mills are working here, which forces farmers to travel far to sell their harvest. Many farmers have moved the High Court asking for the reopening of the Nizamabad Cooperative Sugar Factory. During my visits to different states, I have seen the support extended to sugarcane farmers elsewhere,” said Kondela Sai Reddy, National President, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh.
