Uttar Pradesh Sugarcane Development Minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary said the state government was working to ensure that in the next couple of years, the sugarcane farmers were paid their dues within 10 days against the current 14 days time limit.

He said the government had expedited the process of clearing payments to sugarcane farmers as a result of which they had already been paid Rs 14,500 crore against the target of Rs 8,000 crore in 100 days of the Yogi Adityanath government 2.0. The minister claimed that sugarcane had become the main cash crop in the state.

"In the first 100 days of the Yogi Adityanath government 2.0, the Sugarcane Department has paid Rs 14,500 crore to the farmers against the target of Rs 8,000 crore. This year, sugar mills have purchased sugarcane worth Rs 35,000 crore, and payments amounting to Rs 29,000 crore have been made," Chaudhary said.

With the recent state assembly election taking place in the midst of farmers' protests against three contentious farm laws of the Centre -- in which sugarcane growers, particularly those from western Uttar Pradesh, had participated actively -- the issue surrounding sugarcane had become an important poll narrative.

"Sugarcane has become the main crop of the farmers of Uttar Pradesh. Under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath ji, in the past five years, Rs 40,000 crore payments were made to farmers after purchase of wheat, while payments amounting to Rs 60,000 crore were made to farmers for purchase of paddy,” he pointed out.

"And, in the case of sugarcane, payment of Rs 1.80 lakh crore was made to farmers during the previous regime of Yogi Adityanath and the money was credited in the bank accounts of the farmers," he said.

The minister said the area under sugarcane cultivation in the state had increased by six per cent and the sugar mills that were shut down by the previous governments had not only been restarted but their capacities had been enhanced.

"In two years, we want to create such a situation where payment is made within 10 days as compared to the current 14 days," the minister said.

Chaudhary said research was underway for newer varieties of sugarcane.

Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary, the five-time MLA from Chhata constituency in Mathura, took a swipe at the Congress, saying it was unable to find a state chief in the politically important UP. A prominent Jat leader, Chaudhary also came down heavily on Akhilesh Yadav and said that the Samajwadi Party chief had "completely failed" in the politics of alliances.

"Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav was a leader with ears on the ground and he rose from a humble background to lead Uttar Pradesh three times as its chief minister. On the fourth occasion, after getting full majority, he handed over the chief ministership to his son but Akhilesh was unable to hold the reins," he said.

“Mulayam Singh Yadav was quick in forging alliances. He had aligned with the Congress, the Bahujan Samaj Party and even the Communists, when it was necessary. However, Akhilesh has completely failed in the politics of alliances,” the minister said.

The 71-year-old leader was considered as the 'Jat face' during the Mayawati government in the state from 2006 to 2011, but he crossed over to the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2015.Chaudhary was also a minister in Yogi Adityanath's previous government.