Uttar Pradesh is driving sugarcane transformation through digital reforms and modern governance

A farmer was seen transporting sugarcane loaded in a tractor to a sugar mill in Amroha Dist, Uttar Pradesh. File | Photo credit: The Hindu

The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday (September 11, 2026) said the state’s sugarcane sector has seen significant growth, with nearly half of India’s sugarcane now produced in the state, making it a focal point not only for the sugar economy but also for ethanol production and agricultural growth.

The number of sugarcane farmers associated with the sector has also shown a steady increase over the years to reach 48,03,084 farmers by 2024-25, reflecting the expanding reach and economic importance of sugarcane cultivation across the state, the government added.

“Ten years ago, Uttar Pradesh’s sugarcane economy was defined by familiar challenges. Farmers struggled with payment delays, cumbersome paperwork, fragmented information flows and limited access to technology. Productivity growth began to stagnate in several regions, while institutions created to support farmers often remained constrained by outdated processes. Today, the industry presents a vastly different picture of sugar production14436. 2015-16 increase to 2362 lakh tonnes in 2025-26, Uttar Pradesh remains the largest sugarcane producing state in the country.Almost half of India’s sugarcane is now produced in Uttar Pradesh, making the state a focal point not only for sugar industry but also for ethanol production and farmers have managed to increase sugar production over the years 48,03,084 bonded farmers in 2024-25, reflecting the expanding reach and economic importance of sugarcane cultivation across the State Correspondingly, cane payments to farmers have seen unprecedented growth, with sugar mills disbursing payments in excess of ₹ 32,795 crore during 2025-26 as compared to around ₹ 1,000 crore in 2015-16, underscoring the significant improvement in farmer remuneration and efficiency payments,” Ministhy S., Uttar Pradesh sugarcane commissioner and managing director of State Sugar Corporation Limited, told The Hindu.

A 2003-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Ms Ministhy highlighted the decade-long drive to modernize governance, strengthen institutions and put farmers at the center of policy design, leading to increased performance and productivity.

“The most visible intervention has been the digitization of the sugarcane management system. For decades, farmers were dependent on physical records and repeated visits to offices for surveys, sugarcane slips, payment information and grievance redressal. The introduction of integrated digital platforms such as the Smart Ganna Kisan Portal (National e-Governance Award), e-Ganna mobile slip mechanism and e-slip based online calendars have improved this relationship changed,” said the commissioner to Cane.

Abhishek Anand, Additional Commissioner Cane and a 2014 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer added, “Today, a farmer can access survey details, sugarcane reservation information, weighing records and payment status through a mobile phone. What was earlier a paper-based system has gradually evolved into a real-time digital ecosystem. The significance of this shift lies not only in the increased transparency of the sugar supply chain,” he added.

Published – 12 Sep 2026 11:53 IST