Agriculture has always held an important place in the politics of Uttar Pradesh state, but upon visiting the Bagpat sugar belt and studying the government's work among farmers, the picture appeared different. Farmers shared their opinions on a number of issues, including access to electricity, water, fertilizers, payments for sugar beet, and law and order. They noted that many problems that previously required long queues and visits to government offices have significantly improved.
In particular, farmers growing sugar beet reported improvements in the payment system and increased crop prices. Bagpat is land where not only crops grow, but also the hopes of thousands of families. Here, farmers work in the fields, crops bloom, or they plow. When asked about changes in agriculture and the life of a farmer over the past years, they cited electricity, water, fertilizers, and payment for sugar beet as the most significant issues.
Farmers claim that they no longer have to face the long queues for fertilizers as before. They also feel an improvement in the provision of electricity for irrigation. Water in the field is vital for the entire harvest, and farmers from Bagpat note that the electricity and water supply system has improved compared to the past, which positively affects their farming. They no longer have to experience the previous difficulties with night irrigation, and changes in electricity availability are observed.
Another serious problem for farmers has always been fertilizers. Farmers state that previously obtaining fertilizers required standing in long queues and waiting for hours, but the situation has changed. Some farmers in Bagpat linked changes in law and order to their own lives. They said that it used to be scary to go to the field at night, but the situation is different now. For a farmer, law and order means not only crime statistics but also the ability to reach their field peacefully at night. Farmers emphasized that they no longer worry about traveling to the field in the dark.
However, it is impossible to talk about Bagpat without mentioning sugar beet. Bagpat is an important part of the Western Uttar Pradesh sugar belt, and for farmers here, sugar beet is not just a crop but the main source of family income. When asked about changes in the collection and payments for sugar beet, they compared their past experience with the current system.
Farmers note that previously there were difficulties with purchasing and getting paid for sugar beet, whereas now they have found relief due to timely payments and rising crop prices. It became clear from the words of farmers from Bagpat that factors such as the amount of electricity received in the field, the effort spent obtaining fertilizers, the simplicity of irrigation, and the timing of money reaching the account are decisive. The farmers interviewed in Bagpat described the current government as caring for the interests of the farmers.
