- Uttar Pradesh farmers received over Rs 3.22 lakh crore since 2017.
- Digital systems ensure timely payments directly to farmers’ accounts.
- State leads India in sugarcane production and sugar recovery rates.
Uttar Pradesh government has announced a historic sugarcane payment milestone, with farmers in the state receiving more than Rs 3.22 lakh crore since 2017. The achievement comes as the Yogi Adityanath-led administration continues to focus on timely payments, digital transparency, and strengthening the rural economy through the sugar sector. According to official figures released in Lucknow on May 27, Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the country’s top sugarcane price-paying state while also maintaining its dominance in sugarcane production and sugar recovery.
Record Payments And Direct Transfers Boost Farmers
Under the current administration, sugarcane farmers have reportedly received Rs 3,22,722 crore in payments over the last nine years. Payments are now being directly credited into farmers’ bank accounts, reducing the involvement of intermediaries and improving transparency.
The government stated that digital initiatives have significantly streamlined the entire process. Through the “Smart Ganna Kisan” system, registration of sugarcane fields, surveys, scheduling, and issuance of sugarcane slips have been fully digitised.
Farmers now receive sugarcane slips directly on their mobile phones, while payments are transferred using the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.
For the ongoing crushing season 2025-26, payments worth Rs 30,831.81 crore have already been made, which means that nearly 90% of farmers have received their dues, while remaining pending payments are expected to be cleared soon.
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Uttar Pradesh Overtakes Maharashtra In Sugar Recovery
The state has also registered significant growth in sugar recovery rates.
In the 2025-26 crushing season, 121 operational sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh collectively crushed 877.96 lakh tonnes of sugarcane and produced 89.68 lakh tonnes of sugar.
Despite having fewer mills compared to Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh managed to outperform both Maharashtra and Karnataka in average sugar recovery.
Official data showed Uttar Pradesh achieving an average sugar recovery rate of 10.21%, compared to Maharashtra’s 9.49% and Karnataka’s 8.19%.
The state government also approved a Rs 30 per quintal hike in sugarcane prices for the 2025-26 season. Early variety sugarcane prices were fixed at Rs 400 per quintal, while general varieties were set at Rs 390 per quintal.
Officials estimate that the revised rates resulted in nearly Rs 3,000 crore in additional payments to farmers.
Sugar Industry Becoming Backbone Of Rural Economy
The government believes the sugarcane and sugar industry has evolved into a major pillar of Uttar Pradesh’s rural economy.
Regular and timely payments have strengthened the financial condition of nearly 48 lakh sugarcane farming families across the state during the tenure of the current administration.
The Sugarcane Development Department is also expected to play a key role in helping the state move toward its long-term economic target of becoming a one trillion-dollar economy.
