Assistance available for modern sugarcane planting, seed treatment, ratoon management and farm machinery
PEN OF DEMOCRACY NEWS DESK
The Haryana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department has launched an initiative for sugarcane growers under the Sugarcane Technology Objective Project for the financial year 2026-27, aimed at encouraging farmers to adopt modern cultivation practices and improve productivity.
Assistant Sugarcane Officer, Shahabad, Dr Baljinder Singh said farmers falling under the jurisdiction of Assistant Sugarcane Development Officers in the state’s major sugarcane-producing areas would be eligible for financial assistance under the initiative.
According to Dr Singh, the subsidy will be provided for demonstration plots established using notified and recommended sugarcane varieties and modern planting and crop-management techniques. The initiative is intended to encourage farmers to move towards more efficient cultivation methods and adopt improved practices in sugarcane production.
The eligible interventions include promotion of wide-row spacing of four feet, single-bud and bud-chip planting methods, foundation seed nurseries and seed treatment. Assistance will also be available for ratoon management in fields maintained with a four-foot row spacing.
Dr Singh said farmers who planted sugarcane during the spring or summer season, after April, can register to avail themselves of the scheme until September 30, 2026. Farmers planning to plant sugarcane during the upcoming autumn season in October and November will be able to submit applications between October 1 and December 31, 2026.
Interested farmers can submit their applications online through the official Agriculture Department website, agriharyana.gov.in. The department has also made detailed information regarding the scheme and the applicable guidelines available online so that farmers can check the eligibility requirements and application procedure before submitting their forms.
The Assistant Sugarcane Officer further said the state government is also promoting mechanisation in sugarcane cultivation by providing subsidies on a range of agricultural implements. The objective is to reduce dependence on labour-intensive farming practices, improve efficiency and encourage the use of modern machinery in sugarcane fields.
Farmers can seek assistance for several types of machinery under the mechanisation programme for sugarcane cultivation. These include power-operated sugarcane set treatment devices with capacities ranging from 30 to 120 litres, engine-operated power weeders with capacities of 5 to 7.5 horsepower, sugarcane ratoon managers and equipment designed for wide-row ridging.
The subsidy programme also covers four-foot rotavators, tractor-operated sprayers, sub-soilers and chiselers, as well as sugarcane cutters, strippers and planters. Mini tractors have also been included among the modern agricultural implements for which eligible farmers can apply for assistance.
Farmers interested in availing themselves of the machinery subsidy have been advised to submit their applications online through the Agriculture Department’s official website within the prescribed application period. The department has urged farmers to carefully go through the scheme guidelines and eligibility conditions before completing the online application.
The initiative is expected to provide sugarcane growers with greater access to improved planting techniques and farm equipment, while encouraging the adoption of practices that can contribute to better crop management.
Dr Singh said modern planting methods such as wider row spacing, single-bud planting and bud-chip techniques can help farmers adopt a more systematic approach to sugarcane cultivation. Similarly, proper seed treatment and foundation seed nursery practices are important components of a technology-oriented cultivation system.
The focus on ratoon management is also significant for sugarcane farmers, as properly managed ratoon crops can help farmers make better use of existing fields while reducing the need for fresh planting material. The scheme’s emphasis on demonstrations is aimed at allowing farmers to adopt these practices in a practical manner.
The mechanisation component, meanwhile, provides farmers an opportunity to use specialised equipment for different stages of sugarcane cultivation. Machinery for seed treatment, weeding, soil preparation, spraying, cutting and planting can help streamline farm operations.
The Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department has advised eligible farmers to make use of the opportunity within the specified deadlines rather than waiting until the last date. Farmers can access the official website for application details, scheme guidelines and other instructions related to the subsidy programmes.
The department’s initiative forms part of the broader effort to promote technology-based agriculture and mechanisation in Haryana. By encouraging modern cultivation techniques and improved agricultural implements, the programme seeks to support sugarcane growers in adopting more efficient methods of production.
Dr Baljinder Singh appealed to farmers to obtain complete information about the scheme from the official department portal and submit their applications according to the prescribed procedure.
Farmers who have already planted sugarcane during the spring or summer period after April have until September 30 to register under the technology project. Those preparing for autumn planting will have a separate application window from October 1 to December 31.
The department has made the relevant information and guidelines available online, enabling farmers to check the provisions of the scheme and apply for assistance without having to rely on unofficial sources.
With both technology-based cultivation assistance and subsidies for mechanisation available, the initiative is aimed at giving sugarcane farmers greater access to modern agricultural practices and equipment during the 2026-27 agricultural year.
POD/DESK
