Indian farm groups seek sugarcane prices of ₹500-700 per quintal

Farm organizations raise their price demands

Indian farmer organizations are demanding a sharp increase in the price paid for sugarcane, arguing that rising production costs have eroded growers’ returns. The proposals cited by producer representatives range from ₹500 to ₹700 per quintal, although no new official price has been announced in the material available.

Hindustan reported that the Doiwala unit of the All India Kisan Sabha discussed inflation and other agricultural problems at a meeting held at the Sugarcane Committee Kisan Bhawan. The organization submitted a memorandum to the executive director of the Doiwala sugar mill seeking a cane price of ₹700 per quintal.

State president Shivprasad Devali said farmers were under pressure from inflation and agricultural expenses. He identified higher prices for fertilizer, farm machinery and crop-protection products as factors making cultivation progressively more expensive. The organization wants the government to declare what it considers a remunerative cane price of at least ₹700 per quintal.

Another group seeks ₹500-600 per quintal

A separate headline description said Bharatiya Kisan Union national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait had called for the government to set the sugarcane price between ₹500 and ₹600 per quintal. His argument linked the demand to higher sugar prices: if the value of the processed product has risen, farmers should also receive more for the raw material.

The description also said Tikait announced action over farmers’ demands for 17 September. The available source material does not specify the scale or location of that action, and it does not indicate whether authorities or mill representatives have formally responded to the proposed price range.

The two demands are not identical. The All India Kisan Sabha’s Doiwala unit is seeking at least ₹700 per quintal, while Tikait’s stated range is ₹500-600. Together, however, they show organized pressure for a substantial upward revision rather than a marginal adjustment.

Mills face a difficult cost calculation

A higher mandatory or negotiated cane price would increase the raw-material bill for sugar mills. The eventual impact would depend on the price adopted, the quantity of cane purchased and mills’ ability to recover additional costs through sugar and other cane-derived products. None of those outcomes is quantified in the supplied reports, so the demands should not be treated as an agreed cost increase.

For growers, the central issue is whether cane revenue is keeping pace with fertilizer, machinery and agricultural chemical expenses. For mills, a rise toward the requested levels would make procurement costs a central consideration in crushing plans and cash-flow management. Traders and sugar buyers will therefore watch whether the campaign produces an official revision, a regional settlement or no immediate policy change.

The dispute also creates a timing issue for the coming crushing season. Farmers need price visibility when deciding how much cane to supply, while mills need clarity to plan procurement and processing. Until authorities announce a decision, the ₹500-700 figures remain demands from producer organizations, not confirmed sugarcane prices.