India's Sugar Economy
The Cane Cutters
How lakhs of seasonal migrants from drought-prone Marathwada cut cane under harsh conditions, why debt ties them to contractors, and concerns about health and children's education.
Every harvest season, lakhs of cane cutters migrate to sugar belts.
Who they are
- Many come from Beed and other drought-prone districts of Marathwada, Maharashtra.
- They work in pairs (koyta), often husband and wife.
- They migrate for around 5 to 6 months each year.
How they’re hired
- Mukadams (contractors) pay advances before the season.
- Workers repay the advance through their labour, creating debt bondage risks.
Conditions
- Hard physical work from before dawn.
- Living in temporary huts near fields.
- Pay per tonne cut.
- Accidents and health problems.
Women’s health
Reports in 2019 revealed that many women cane cutters in Beed had undergone hysterectomies, partly to avoid losing wages during menstruation, sparking an inquiry.
Children
Children often migrate with parents, missing school. Some states run seasonal hostels so children can stay and study.
Mechanisation
Cane harvesters are spreading, which may reduce demand for cutters over time.
A couple in Beed accepts a 1 lakh rupee advance from a mukadam before Diwali. They cut cane for six months in western Maharashtra to repay it.
Much depends on migrant workers facing harsh conditions.
- Lakhs of cane cutters migrate seasonally, many from Marathwada.
- Advances from contractors create debt bondage risks.
- Conditions harm health, especially for women.
- Children often miss school; hostels help.
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