The sugarcane farmers in western Uttar Pradesh never had it so good. In a place where more than 70 per cent of the agriculture is based on sugarcane, the average annual income of a sugarcane farmer has suddenly crossed Rs 1.5 lakh.

Thanks to the rise in sugar prices in the last two years from Rs 1,100 to more than Rs 1,900 per quintal and to the more than 28 new sugar mills set up in the region last year, the industry here seems to be in for a lasting boom. Another 26 mills are expected by 2008.

“More than Rs 5,000 crore of investment came in the state this year itself. We have paid the farmers more than Rs 6,900 crore as cane payment. It had never been this high,” said Rahul Bhatnagar, the state Cane commissioner.

62-year-old Vijay Raj spent all his life growing sugarcane but was never so satisfied with the returns. “Ganne ki asli kadr toh ab hui hai (only now has the market realised sugarcane’s worth),” he smiles.

Raj is not the only one. There are more than 1,100 sugarcane farmers in his small village of Daurala in Meerut district and today most of them own cars. Some of them got air conditioners installed at home and, since there is no electricity in this area, also have high-power invertors to operate them.

“Our children go to Meerut town for education. We can afford good schools for them now,” said Chander, another Daurala farmer. One of Raj’s daughters took the entrance test for assistant commandant and another for sub-inspector.

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