Transparent weighment and recovery testing matter as much to sugarcane farmers as the FRP itself. Discuss.

A farmer's cane bill is three numbers multiplied: the FRP, the weight of cane delivered and the recovery rate. The mill measures the last two. 99.5% of 2022-23 cane dues have already been paid [1]. The grievance has therefore moved from late payment to an under-measured bill, and the Ramesh Chand Committee (October 2026) was set up partly to look at this [2].

Why measurement matters as much as price

• Recovery decides the rate: FRP 2026-27 is ₹365/qtl at 10.25% basic recovery. It rises or falls by ₹3.56/qtl for each 0.1% [3]. If recovery is recorded 0.5 points too low, the farmer loses about ₹17.8/qtl. That is more than this year's entire FRP increase of ₹10/qtl (2.81%) [3].
• Opaque testing: The mill tests recovery itself. The committee's terms of reference ask for transparent verification of recovery, which suggests farmers cannot check the figure today [2].
• Weighment: An uncalibrated weighbridge quietly cuts the quantity the farmer is paid for. This is why the Joint Secretary (Legal Metrology) sits on the committee, which is examining calibration, inspection and verification [2].
• Mechanised harvesting: Mills deduct weight from machine-cut cane for trash. The committee will check whether these deductions match actual losses [2].

Why FRP still remains foundational

• Income floor: The FRP is about 100.5% above the A2+FL cost of ₹182/qtl [3]. Accurate scales cannot save a farmer if the price itself is too low.
• Mills' ability to pay: NITI Aayog's Task Force (2020) found that falling sugar prices alongside rising cane prices left mills short of cash and unable to pay farmers [4]. Better measurement cannot fix this, so the committee is also reviewing the ex-mill MSP of sugar [2].
• The two work together: The Rangarajan Committee proposed sharing revenue 70:30 between farmers and mills, with the FRP as the floor [5]. Any such formula only works if farmers trust the weight and recovery figures.

Way forward

• Recovery tests done by a third party or witnessed by farmers, with results published.
• Legal-metrology inspections of mill weighbridges on a fixed schedule, plus digital weighment slips.
• Deductions for machine-cut cane based on field measurement, not a guessed figure.

The FRP sets the rate, but weighment and recovery testing decide whether that rate actually reaches the farmer. Price and measurement are two halves of one payment. The committee should pair a viable sugar MSP with measurement that farmers can verify. That would support SDG target 2.3 on smallholder incomes and rebuild farmer–mill trust through Centre–state cooperation.