Economic Viability of Sugarcane Cultivation for Small Farmers in Uttar Pradesh

The present study was based on primary data collected from 188 farmers who cultivated wheat, paddy, and sugarcane in Dhamravali village, Bulandshahr district, Uttar Pradesh, through a structured questionnaire. The results showed that sugarcane had the highest Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) of 1.76, offering the best return per unit of cost. The paddy-wheat system had a BCR of 1.59. The scale efficiency of sugarcane, determined using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), was 0.969, indicating that output could be increased by 4 per cent by optimizing landholding size. Socio-economic factors such as caste, landholding size, principal occupation, number of farm implements, and soil fertility were found to influence sugarcane cultivation. It was noticed that raising technological awareness, improving input quality, adopting water-efficient irrigation methods, and enhancing infrastructure can boost sugarcane returns. Additionally, introducing advanced techniques such as bud chip planting can further improve yields and enhance the financial sustainability of farmers.