Bitter harvest in Villupuram: Sugarcane farmers call for support ahead of TN Assembly Polls 2026

Sugarcane farmers in Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram say their harvest tells a story far removed from the sweetness associated with the crop. Instead, they describe a growing sense of distress driven by multiple challenges—chief among them being poor remuneration.

With cultivation costs rising sharply due to increased prices of inputs and labour, farmers allege that private sugar mills are not offering fair and remunerative prices. While some long-pending dues have recently been cleared, farmers claim these payments came only in the run-up to elections.

They argue that the current price support for sugarcane is inadequate and has failed to keep pace with escalating production costs.

G Kalivarthan, Villupuram All Farmers Association President, "In Villupuram district, once known as the 'Sugar Bowl' of undivided South Arcot, sugarcane farming is declining due to inadequate pricing, wild boar issues, and outstanding payments from mills."

Locals say the impact is already visible on the ground. Many farmers in Villupuram have stopped cultivating sugarcane, while others are seriously considering shifting away from the crop.

Bhaskaran, a farmer, says, "50 per cent of farmers have given up sugarcane cultivation here. The state government promised to increase the procurement rates to Rs 4000, but no announcement has come so far. We have no information about it. The price of fertilisers and manpower costs has increased. We are finding it hard to cultivate sugarcane crops amidst all this."

Farmers also point to declining yields and changing crop patterns as additional concerns.

Mannagathi V, a farmer, says, "We used to cultivate 60 to 70 tonnes of sugarcane per acre earlier. We used seeds like 6034, 685 and cultivated 70 tonnes. But now, the government is asking us to produce from the crops it suggests to us. That only lets us yield 25 to 35 tonnes per acre. After we spend on transport and other costs, farmers have nothing left. So, farmers are leaving sugarcane crops and taking up paddy now."

According to estimates shared by locals, the area under sugarcane cultivation in the district has dropped by nearly half.

Also watch| Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2026: Magalir Urimai Thogai scheme under spotlight

Farmers are now urging the government to step in with stronger support measures, including clearing pending dues and announcing higher procurement prices to revive the sector.

Sathiya Sellam, a farmer, says, "We don't get our raw materials easily. When we sow crops, grow them, harvest them and take them to the sugar factories, we don't get a good price for them. There is a delay in those payments also. The government is not giving us a procurement price that it had promised. In this situation, farming is getting weaker. State and central government should take steps."

Beyond financial relief, farmers are also calling for technological intervention. They cite Baramati in Maharashtra as an example, where the use of modern techniques, including AI, has helped improve yields and reduce costs.

With assembly elections approaching, farmers in Villupuram’s sugarcane belt are hoping for timely action—and a more favourable outcome for their livelihoods.