New Delhi: The Centre has constituted a committee under the chairmanship of former NITI Aayog member Prof. Ramesh Chand to examine issues raised by sugarcane farmers and recommend measures to address their concerns.
The move follows a meeting between representatives of sugarcane farmers from Karnataka and Maharashtra and the Union ministers for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
The committee will examine demands for higher remunerative returns to sugarcane farmers, taking into account cultivation costs and other relevant factors. It will also review the ex-mill minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar in relation to production costs, market realisations and the financial viability of sugar mills.
The panel will assess existing mechanisms for testing and reporting sugar recovery and recommend measures to ensure transparent verification. It will also examine sugarcane weighment practices at mills, including the adequacy of calibration, inspection and verification mechanisms.
The committee will review deductions from the weight of mechanically harvested sugarcane, assess any actual losses arising from mechanised harvesting and evaluate their financial impact on the prices paid to farmers. It may consider other related issues as necessary.
The panel will consult farmers’ representatives, sugar mill associations, state governments and other experts or organisations. It will submit its findings and specific recommendations as early as possible for consideration by the competent authority.
Prof. Ramesh Chand, an agricultural economist and public policy expert, served as a NITI Aayog member from 2015 to 2026. He previously served as director of ICAR-NIAP and as a member of the Fifteenth Finance Commission.
The committee also includes the Agriculture Commissioner in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the Joint Secretary (Sugar) in the Department of Food and Public Distribution, and the Joint Secretary (Legal Metrology) in the Department of Consumer Affairs.
