Sugar promises short & sweet effect this year

Sugarcane production has been good and the crop has hit the market on time for the first time in the last three years.

According to farmers and officials, all these factors, including the sweetness of the crop, can lead to a reduction in sugar prices in the coming days.

Speaking to DH, Dr M N Ajay Nagabhushan, commissioner for cane development and director of sugar, attributed this to good rain.

According to some reports, 4.4 lakh hectares of land was under cane production this year, an increase of 40,000 hectares when compared to last year.

There is also an average 10% increase per acre in crop production. This means the sugarcane production is more this time. Also, last year's stock is already there and this year’s stock will also accumulate, which will lead to a drop in sugar prices in the near future. But the government is yet to take a decision on the fall of prices, the officials maintained.

Normally, the sweetness of sugarcane depends upon geographical location. The ideal places for good harvest are Kolhapur, Sangli in Maharashtra and Belagavi in Karnataka, because of the soil condition, water, temperature and sunlight, Nagabhushan added.

Prakash Rao, assistant commissioner of the department, said that the sugarcane production has been good as the rainfall was good in the first half of the year. But since northeast monsoon has failed, this could have an impact on the next crop cycle. This year, the crop has been sweeter in north Karnataka, despite less rain, he explained.

Sugarcane Growers' Association President Kuruburu Shanthakumar said that the crop has reached the market on time and the farmers are happy as the yield is good.

Dr Rayappa Khandagave, director of Nijalingappa Sugar Institute, said 40 lakh tonnes of sugarcane was crushed in 2017-18 in the state.

The average production of sugarcane is 80-100 tonnes per hectare and there is 11% sugar recovery in the state as a whole.