West Champaran Cane Area Falls by 6,000 Acres to About 63,000 Ahead of Crushing Season
The command area of New Swadeshi Sugar Mills at Narkatiaganj in Bihar has about 63,000 acres under sugarcane this year, roughly 6,000 acres less than last season, according to the mill survey reported by Jagran. Mill management says crop condition is better after intermittent rain and sunshine, while growers are demanding a higher cane price fixed before crushing begins.
Sugarcane planting in the command area of New Swadeshi Sugar Mills at Narkatiaganj, in Bihar's West Champaran district, has fallen by about 6,000 acres from last year to roughly 63,000 acres, according to the mill's cane survey reported by Jagran. The contraction, equivalent to around 8 percent of the previous area, comes weeks before the start of the crushing season and while growers are pressing the state government to set a new cane price in advance.
Survey ran from April to the end of August
The cane survey covering the mill's command area started in April and was completed at the end of August, Jagran reported. The exercise records how much land each grower has under cane and forms the basis for the mill's procurement planning. Survey results have been posted on the sugar mill's display board, and farmers are visiting to check the recorded area against their own holdings.
Any discrepancy or objection can be filed through the prescribed procedure so that corrections are made in time. Rajiv Tyagi, executive vice-president of the mill, said the objection process would be completed within the next two to four days, after which the distribution of cane calendars to farmers would begin.
- Cane area in the mill zone: about 63,000 acres, or roughly 25,500 hectares
- Change from last year: down about 6,000 acres
- Survey period: April to the end of August
- Next step: objections closed within two to four days, then cane calendar distribution
Smaller area, better crop
Mill management describes the standing crop as being in better shape than the reduced acreage alone would suggest. Intermittent rainfall followed by sunny weather has supported growth, according to the Jagran report, and Tyagi said the condition of the crop is better. Cane availability at a mill depends on both area and yield per acre, so a stronger crop can partly offset a smaller planted area, although the report gives no tonnage estimate for the season.
The mill has asked farmers to bring more land under cane and to expand autumn sowing, a decision that would affect supply in subsequent seasons rather than the one about to begin. It is also providing training and support aimed at disease-free cultivation and higher output. Growers who have not yet tied and propped their cane have been advised to do so quickly, to limit lodging losses when strong winds and rough weather hit the crop.
Cane calendar sets the supply schedule
Once objections are settled, the mill will distribute the cane calendar, the document that tells each grower when to deliver to the factory gate. For mills, the calendar is the main instrument for smoothing the daily crush and keeping cane fresh between harvest and milling; for farmers, it determines when payment cycles begin. With area down, scheduling discipline becomes more important for keeping the plant running close to capacity through the season.
Growers want the price announced before crushing
Farmers in the area have raised a demand for a higher cane price and want the government to fix the new rate before the crushing season begins, Jagran reported. Announcing the rate in advance lets growers judge returns against alternative crops before they commit land, which is the point where the reduced acreage and the pricing debate meet.
The state is supplying farm machinery on subsidy to promote cane cultivation. Ravindra Kumar Tiwari, executive president of the Narkatiaganj sugar mill, said mill management is working alongside the government on efforts to raise farmers' incomes.
