ROHTAK, Sept. 9 -- 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, including cooperative sugar mills situated in Panipat, Rohtak, Karnal, Sonepat, Shahabad, Jind, Palwal, Maham, Kaithal, Gohana and Assandh (HAFED mill) and private sugar mills in Naraingarh (Ambala district), Bhadshon (Karnal district) and Yamunanagar. The acreage decline has come despite efforts by the Haryana government to encourage farmers to continue with sugarcane cultivation. The state has offered cane prices above the Centre's fair and remunerative price (FRP), promoted improved varieties and supported mechanisation and diversification in the sugar industry. However, farmers remain reluctant to adopt the crop, citing poor yields, high input costs and the labour-intensive nature of cultivation. According to the ground reports, farmers in several traditional sugarcane-growing areas have shifted to alternative crops, which they say offer better returns with lower cultivation risks. Moreover, the three crops cycle, due to higher earning possibilities in the summer, maize is also a reason the farmers left sugarcane cultivation, which they claim is no-more profitable. Further the decline in yield has added to the mills' concerns. About the reason behind falling sugarcane acreage in Haryana, cooperation minister Arvind Sharma had told Haryana state assembly's budget session that Haryana's average sugarcane yield had declined between 2020-21 and 2024-25, except in 2022-23. The yield is estimated at 329.59 quintals per acre in 2025-26, down to 18.09 quintals (5.2%) from 347.68 quintals in 2020-21. Similarly, sugarcane production is estimated to fall to 536.24 lakh quintals in 2025-26, down 322.54 lakh quintals (37.55%) from 858.78 lakh quintals in 2020-21. When asked about the reason behind farmers shunning sugarcane cultivation Virender Singh Lather, former principal scientist at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute New Delhi, said, "One of the biggest reasons behind the falling sugarcane cultivation in the state is the unavailability of labour and undue delay in the payments by sugarmills." "Sugarcane is a labour-intensive crop with low mechanisation level in the state. The government should encourage mechanisation of sugarcane harvesting on patterns of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, where farmers cultivate and grow the sugarcane crop but harvesting, lifting and transportation from farmer's field to mills is the responsibility of the sugarmills", he added. The shortage of cane is also a concern for Haryana's plans to expand ethanol production. Shahabad Cooperative Sugar Mill operates a 60 kilo litres per day (KLPD) ethanol plant, while Panipat and Karnal cooperative sugarmills develop larger 90 klpd and 120 klpd facilities, respectively....