A major anomaly in India’s agricultural policy is the heavy concentration of subsidies on wheat, rice, and sugarcane, overlooking often the growing consumer demand for fruits and vegetables. This skewed approach forces the government to bail out the sugar industry, maintain excessive grain stocks, and tolerate severe environmental damage. In Maharashtra, the overuse of water for sugarcane has led to soil salinity and groundwater depletion, sparking a decades-long debate over allocating water for sugarcane versus less water-intensive crops like pulses and millets. However, the contrasting stories of two neighboring villages in Solapur district, Chikmahud and Katphal, offer a fresh, representative perspective on this issue.
Located just seven kilometers apart, Chikmahud and Katphal have vastly different agricultural landscapes. Chikmahud cultivates extensive sugarcane thanks to canal irrigation that ensures year-round availability of water. Conversely, Katphal was historically a dry-land village relying on seasonal crops like jowar and bajra. Consequently, it was known as a village of laborers, with landless workers and farmers alike migrating elsewhere for work.
A decade ago, Katphal would empty out after the Dussehra festival as residents migrated to cut sugarcane, herd sheep, or work as construction labourers in places like Vasai-Virar. Today, the out-migration has stopped completely. Instead, the village has become a local employment hub, attracting farm labourers from neighbouring areas. Prosperity is evident: Nearly every household owns a two-wheeler, and there are over 200 four-wheelers. This transformation is driven by improved irrigation that was inadequate for sugar cane cultivation. Farmer were forced to choose a different crop.
Interestingly, Chikmahud’s canal-based sugarcane farming never generated this level of employment or prosperity. Had Katphal received a canal, its farmers likely would have adopted sugarcane due to its stable prices, low risk, and guaranteed income. Fortunately, Katphal’s water came from groundwater recharge and water conservation, not a canal.
Historically dependent on the erratic, rainfall-reliant British-era Rajewadi dam, agriculture in Katphal was risky and prone to drought. This changed when water conservation projects widened and deepened local streams, and built check dams. As groundwater levels rose, farmers pivoted to vegetables, primarily bell peppers (capsicum), which brought unprecedented prosperity.
Today, this village of 3,000 residents cultivates bell peppers across more than 300 acres. Knowing they lacked the year-round water supply required for sugarcane, and having realised that traditional millets wouldn’t bring wealth, farmers chose a crop that matures in four to five months and requires significantly less water.
Bell peppers became crucial for several reasons: They yield 35-40 tonnes per acre in just a few months, require less water than sugarcane, and offer seasonal flexibility. Most importantly, it created a robust local agricultural ecosystem. Shops selling fertilisers and pesticides opened, wholesale traders began visiting the village directly, and locals bought tempos for produce transport. Because bell pepper cultivation is highly labour-intensive — generating over 200 labour-days per acre — it created massive local employment. Even laborers from the sugarcane-growing village of Chikmahud now travel to Katphal for work. Additional jobs were created by new local plant nurseries.
The number of transport vehicles in Katphal has grown from two to over 20, while the number of out-migrating construction workers dropped from over 200 to just 30. Empowered by modern farming techniques, farmers are now expanding into other high-yield, short-season crops like watermelon and cucumber.
This adds a new dimension to the “water for sugarcane vs. other crops” debate. Our policies should ensure that every drop of water is utilized not just for wealth-generating crops, but for crops like vegetables that distribute that wealth widely through massive job creation.
While Chikmahud’s sugarcane farming represents low prosperity, and minimal job creation as of now, Katphal exemplifies a model that brings significantly greater prosperity and wealth distribution.
Shouldn’t our rural development mirror Katphal’s path, prioritising water for crops that maximise and distribute agricultural wealth?
(The views expressed are personal)
