Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh: Sugarcane farmers are turning away from cane cultivation in the district due to lower demand and rising input costs, reports The Hindu.
Two sugar mills from the district namely Bhimasingi Cooperative sugar mill and NCS Sugars, a private mill have stopped their operations due to continuous losses and less availability of cane for crushing.
The cane farmers are sending their cane to a private sugar mill located on Rajam-Palakonda road but they have to bear heavy transport costs as the mill is located far away.
The area under cane cultivation has dropped from earlier 20,000 hectares to 4,505 hectares in 2022 and is likely to lower to 3,500 hectares in the 2023 Kharif season, said experts and farmers.
Earlier farmers were attracted to cane cultivation as they were getting getting higher price as compare to paddy cultivation. But they are now turning away from cane cultivation as the input costs have been increased and they are not getting good returns.
The government is taking steps to ensure that farmers get better prices for cane by holding talks with the mill management, said district Joint Director of Agriculture V.T. Ramarao.
