With problems faced by sugarcane farmers being one of the top poll issues in Uttar Pradesh, the state's major belt for the cashcrop is going for second phase voting on February 14.
The state is estimated to have a sugarcane area of 23.08 lakh hectares, as against 23.07 lakh hectares in 2020-21, and the cane belt of Uttar Pradesh is home to at least 35 lakh farmers.
The predominance of sugarcane farming could be guaged from the fact that the the western UP districts have overwhelming proporting of the cash crop. Bareilly has 70 per cent sugarcane farmers, Moradabad has around 60 percent, Badaun has 40 per cent, Bijnor has more than 50 per cent, and Rampur has around 45 per cent of the cash crop growers, according to the information provided by the district administrations and local farmers.
Among other districts Sambhal has 35 per cent sugarcane farmers, Saharanpur and amroha have 65 per cent and 60 per cent respectively, and Shahjahanpur has 35 per cent cash crop grwoers.
The seats which are going to polls for the second phase in Uttar Pradesh are Najibabad, Nagina (SC), Barhapur, Dhampur, Nehtaur (SC), Behat, Nakur, Saharanpur Nagar, Saharanpur, Thakurdwara, Moradabad Rural, Moradabad Nagar, Bijnor, Chandpur, Bithari Chainpur, Bareilly, Bareilly Cantt., Noorpur, Kanth, Dhanaura (SC), Naugawan Sadat, Amroha, Hasanpur, Gunnaur, Bisauli (SC), Kundarki, Bilari, Chandausi (SC), Asmoli, Sambhal, Suar, Chamraua, Bilaspur, Rampur, Milak (SC), Deoband, Rampur Maniharan (SC), Gangoh, Sahaswan, Bilsi, Badaun, Shekhupur, Dataganj, Baheri, Meerganj, Bhojipura, Nawabganj, Faridpur (SC), Aonla, Katra, Jalalabad, Tilhar, Powayan (SC), Shahjahanpur and Dadraul.
In phase two, there are a total of 586 candidates in the electoral fray for the 55 Assembly seats spread across nine districts that also includes nine constituencies reserved for the Scheduled Castes.
Pravesh Pathak, a farmer from Babura Village told ANI, "Our stress continues. We want the government to look after our payments, taking loans is not a solution."
"The mill is not paying us our payment. A few days ago I was in dire need of money to take my wife to the hospital, I had to borrow it and that too with interest. The government must ensure that payments get cleared and look into the matter of the rise in the price of fertilizers as well as pesticides," said Brajesh, another farmer from Nawabganj.
The key constituencies and candidates include Congress' Nawab Kazim Ali Khan from Rampur, Samajwadi Party's Supriya Aron from Bareilly Cantt, Keerat Singh Gurjar from Gangoh and BJP's Devendra Nagpal from Naugawan seat.
At present, the sugarcane economy in the state of Uttar Pradesh is estimated at Rs 40,000 crore. The early variety rate of sugarcane here in UP which is also considered as the best variety is Rs 350 per quintal whereas the reject variety is sold at Rs 340 per quintal, the officials informed.
Two crore voters will decide the fate of 586 candidates in the second phase of assembly elections.
( With inputs from ANI )
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