Five cooperative sugar mills in Punjab have won national awards for financial management, sugarcane development and technical efficiency at the National Cooperative Sugar Industry Conclave-2026 held in New Delhi. Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian received the awards from Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari during the event organised by the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF).
The Batala Cooperative Sugar Mills Ltd. secured second position in the Financial Management category for the Other Recovery Area. In the Best Cane Development category, the Fazilka Cooperative Sugar Mills Ltd. and Budhewal Cooperative Sugar Mills Ltd. both secured second positions. In Technical Efficiency, Nakodar Cooperative Sugar Mills Ltd. secured second position, while Bhogpur Cooperative Sugar Mills Ltd. finished third. 
Khudian said the state is focusing on modern agricultural practices to increase sugarcane productivity, improve sugar recovery and reduce cultivation costs. He said the recognition received by five cooperative mills reflects the efforts being made to strengthen the sugarcane and cooperative sugar sector in Punjab. The state government is also promoting farmer training, mechanisation and improved cultivation practices to raise farm-level productivity.
Punjab's sugarcane cultivation area has increased from 1,11,818 hectares in the 2025-26 season to 1,16,131 hectares in 2026-27. The state is targeting nearly 700 lakh quintals of sugarcane production during the current season, subject to favourable weather conditions. Of the total area, 47,295 hectares are under ratoon crop, 51,174 hectares under spring planting and 17,662 hectares under autumn planting.
The state is also providing financial and technical support to encourage better sugarcane cultivation. Farmers establishing demonstration plots based on recommended cultivation practices can receive an incentive of ₹3,200 per acre, while agricultural machinery such as sugarcane harvesters and planters is being supported through a 40 per cent subsidy. According to the state government, around 15,000 farmers have received technical information through 320 training camps conducted jointly by Punjab Agricultural University experts, the Agriculture Department and sugar mills. 
Punjab's sugarcane growers receive a state-agreed price of ₹416 per quintal, with the state having approved a direct subsidy of ₹68.50 per quintal for the 2025-26 crushing season. The increase in sugarcane acreage, alongside efforts to improve recovery, mechanisation and farmer training, is expected to support the state's cooperative sugar sector in the 2026-27 season.
