Andhra Pradesh: Sugarcane cultivation in Chittoor, Tirupati falls 96% as mills shut
Sugarcane cultivation in the combined Chittoor and Tirupati districts has declined by over 96% since 2013, mainly due to widespread sugar mill closures and rising transport costs. With only one limited-capacity mill operating, many farmers have shifted to dairy farming and shorter-duration crops.
TIRUPATI: Sugarcane cultivation across the combined Chittoor and Tirupati districts has declined by more than 96% since 2013, sharply reducing the crop’s presence in a region that was once a major sugarcane-growing centre in Rayalaseema, The New Indian Express reported.
Commercial sugarcane is now grown on only 4,835 hectares across the two districts, about 3% to 4% of the area under cultivation at its peak.
The decline has been driven by the closure of sugar mills, problems in the cooperative sector and growing competition from private mills in neighbouring states. At its peak, the undivided Chittoor district had six major sugar mills that supported more than one lakh farming families.
The Chittoor Co-operative Sugars and Sri Venkateswara Co-operative Sugars at Gajulamanyam, which once played a key role in the local farm economy, are no longer operating. The government is now focusing on selling their assets and completing legal procedures to settle accumulated debts rather than restarting the units.
Private mills have also struggled. Natems Sugars in Nindra stopped operations after the 2020 crushing season, leaving thousands of farmers with crores of rupees in unpaid statutory dues. Sudalagunta Sugars in B.N. Kandriga and KBD Sugars in Punganur also faced prolonged closures after suffering heavy operating losses.
SNJ Sugars in Nelavoy is currently the only operating sugar mill in the region, although it is functioning on a limited scale.
“Currently, SNJ Sugars in Nelavoy is the sole operational plant in the region. The unit has agreed to crush produce from 4,800 hectares, with an assured capacity to produce 3,800 metric tonnes of sugar,” said M. Muthyala Naidu, Cane Officer for Chittoor and Tirupati districts.
With local mills shutting down, farmers who continued growing sugarcane had to send their crop to private mills in neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The cost of diesel and interstate transport permits added to their expenses.
“We were spending more on diesel and interstate transport permits than we were receiving under the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP),” said Suraparaju Udaya Kumar Raju, a third-generation farmer from Vedurukuppam who recently uprooted his last acre of sugarcane. He said mills across the border offered better prices, but the cost of transporting the crop made cultivation difficult to sustain.
Sugarcane takes 10 to 12 months to generate returns and requires substantial water, labour and investment. Without nearby mills to process the crop, many farmers considered the financial risk too high and shifted to other activities.
Thousands of former sugarcane growers have moved into dairy farming, which provides more regular income through local milk chilling centres. Others have switched to shorter-duration crops such as paddy, maize and tomato, which offer quicker returns and require less long-term investment.
The Central Government continues to promote climate-resilient sugarcane varieties and incentives for ethanol blending. However, local agricultural officials say the decline in the region is not due to a lack of suitable land.
“The soil remains fertile and capable,” said a senior regional cane officer. But farmers cannot be expected to invest in a crop that takes 10 months when there is no working sugar mill within 100 km. Without strong government intervention to clear pending dues and restore cooperative infrastructure, sugarcane cultivation in Chittoor is likely to remain a thing of the past.
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Source : ChiniMandi
