The Government of India has constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Prof. Ramesh Chand, former Member of NITI Aayog, to examine various issues affecting sugarcane farmers and recommend appropriate measures.
On October 14, 2026, the Government of India announced the formation of a committee to address the concerns of sugarcane farmers in Karnataka and Maharashtra. This decision follows a meeting with Union Ministers of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
The committee, chaired by Prof. Ramesh Chand, will examine the demand for an increase in remunerative returns to sugarcane farmers, taking into account cultivation costs and other relevant factors. It will also examine the demand for revision of the ex-mill Minimum Selling Price (MSP) of sugar in the context of sugar production costs, market realisations, and the financial viability of sugar mills.
Other key areas of examination will include existing mechanisms for testing and reporting sugar recovery, measures to ensure transparent verification of recovery, and prevailing sugarcane weighment practices at sugar mills, including the adequacy of calibration, inspection, and verification mechanisms. The committee will also examine prevailing practices relating to deductions from the weight of mechanically harvested sugarcane and assess the extent of actual losses, if any, arising from mechanised harvesting.
The committee is mandated to consult all stakeholders, including farmers’ representatives, sugar mill associations, State Governments, and other experts or organisations as considered necessary. Prof. Ramesh Chand will submit the report containing findings and specific recommendations as early as possible.
The committee comprises the Agriculture Commissioner, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Joint Secretary (Sugar), Department of Food and Public Distribution; and Joint Secretary (Legal Metrology), Department of Consumer Affairs.
Source:
Press Information Bureau
