This has caused a delay in the entire crop cycle as several farmers have not yet started sowing wheat. The yield from wheat, which is a winter crop, is lost with delay. Farmers attribute this delay to sugar mills, who they claim don't start on time. The cane crushing season traditionally starts by October but this year, it wasn't until December that some mills started functioning. Farmers say that the festival has no meaning if there is no harvest.

"Makar Sakranti is not a religious festival. It is a harvest festival. It marks the end of the Kharif season and the beginning of the Rabi season. By this time, the sugarcane crop should be cut and sold in the market. Farmers should have already finished sowing wheat. The reason farmers celebrate is because they are free once they finish sowing wheat. They can just sit back and enjoy time with their families and friends. Unfortunately, this has not happened this year," said Vinod Jatoli, district president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU).

He added saying, "While the cane crushing season has started and some farmers have indeed started sowing wheat, there are still a lot of fields which have not been cleared of sugarcane. Traditionally, the cane should be all cleared out by now. A model year for farmers was 1994. Crushing had begun by October 7. That is when cane is ready to be sold in the market. It also gives time to the wheat crop to grow in the winter. This year, many mills started functioning as late as December! I can't remember any year in the recent past when crushing began so late."

Explaining the reasons behind the delay, Bhartiya Kisan Andolan (BKA) national president Kuldeep Tyagi, said, "The problem is that mills don't start crushing on time for their own selfish reasons. They want to allow the cane to mature a lot more so that the recovery rate of sugar increases. While that suits their interests, it does irreparable damage to farmers who want to grow wheat. Wheat needs to grow in the winter. The more we delay the lesser yield we get. Unfortunately, farmers have no choice. Last year, unseasonal rain in March ruined the wheat crop. Wheat farmers could face a double whammy this year."