THANJAVUR: Mentioning that they were hardly paid even Rs 22 per cane as against the procurement price of Rs 33 fixed last year, farmers who have cultivated chewing sugarcane (Pongal karumbu) urge the state government to be transparent with the pricing for sugarcane procurement undertaken for distribution to ration cardholders as part of the Pongal gift hamper.
The cooperative, food and consumer protection department in its government order dated December 31, 2025, has pegged the procurement price for full length sugarcane as part of the Pongal hamper at Rs 38. As per the G.O., about 2.23 crore sugarcane sticks are to be purchased across the state for the gift hamper. Unlike the sugarcane meant for sugar mills which is usually cultivated on thousands of hectares in the district, the chewing sugarcane is raised on around 300 acres, said agriculture and farmers’ welfare department officials. Further, the crop cultivated on area below 0.5 acres is usually not enumerated, they added.
While the procurement by the cooperative department in recent years has been helping farmers by stabilising the market prices, R Adhisivan, a farmer from Tirukkattupalli, said they did not get even Rs 22 per sugarcane last year when the procurement price was fixed at Rs 33. “Officials said the price fixed by the government included cutting and transportation costs. We are ready to bear the cutting and transportation costs if the full amount fixed by the government towards the overheads is transferred to the farmers,” he added. S Vimalnathan, the secretary of Tamil Nadu Cauvery delta farmers’ protection association, demanded that farmers be given Rs 36 per cane.
When contacted, a cooperative department official pointed out that as per the G.O., a committee headed by the district collector and comprising the joint registrar of cooperative societies, joint director of agriculture and regional managers of TNCSC as members will procure the sugarcane for supply to the fair price shops. They will determine the cutting and transportation costs incurred, the official said. The price indicated by the government is inclusive of cutting cost, bundling cost and transportation costs, officials clarified.