A majority of dues sugarcane millers owe to millions of farmers have been paid on time for three straight years, official data show, a rare turnaround on the back of a mix of policy measures, which have allowed millers to make payments on time. 

India is the largest producer of sugar and the second-biggest exporter, next to Brazil. A rally in international prices, robust exports and the government’s ethanol-blending programme have kept business profitable despite surplus output, enabling timely payouts. 

According to official data, millers have paid a majority of cane arrears for 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 (as on May 24). For the 2019-20 season, millers have paid 99.9% or ₹75,765 crore of their cane dues. For 2020-21, farmers have been paid 99.6% of the total amount due of ₹92,938 crore, while for 2021-22, millers have so far paid 84.6% of the payable cane dues of ₹109,282 crore.