India, Sept. 9 -- ROHTAK Haryana's lucrative Rs.415-per-quintal state advised price, just one rupee behind neighbouring Punjab, has done little to stem a decline in sugarcane acreage in the last five years, revealing farmers' growing reluctance to plant the crop.

Official figures show that the area under sugarcane cultivation in Haryana, which stood at 1.07 lakh hectares in 2021-22 and 2022-23, fell to 88,220 hectares in 2023-24 and then to a five-year low of 71,640 hectares in 2024-25. The acreage has recovered to an estimated 93,780 hectares in 2025-26, but is still less than the 2021 figure, according to the first advance estimate.

The cane production remains significantly low vis-a-vis the crushing capacity of 14 sugar mills, includ...