Incentive scheme may increase sugarcane acreage

The sugarcane cultivation in Orissa’s Ganjam district is likely to get a boost following the state government decision to provide incentives to the farmers for early plantation and seed replacement.

The farmers will get Rs 3000 per acre towards early plantation of sugarcane, while a subsidy of Rs 4000 per metric tonne will be given for seed replacement.

While some of the sugar factories in the state, including Aska Cooperative Sugar Industries (ACSI), the oldest of them, face bleak future due to shortage of sugarcane, the incentive move is likely to increase the acreage of sugarcane.

The sugarcane was cultivated on 3312 acres of land in Ganjam district, which form the command area of Aska sugar mill, this year as against 2353 acres last year.

The government has already released the incentives to the district under the Rastriya Krushi Vikash Yojana (RKVY). The amount would be provided to the beneficiaries through the Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA), an agency of the Central government, working in the district to increase productivity of different crops.

The government has provided Rs 12.57 lakh and Rs 5.97 lakh for implementation of the scheme for the year 2010-11 and 2011-12 respectively, sources said.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between ACSI and ATMA for implementation of the programme recently. While 90 percent of the incentive cost will be borne by ATMA, 10 percent will be provided by the sugar industry, said assistant project director of ATMA, SN Rao said.

Early plantation and seed replacement are necessary for high yield of sugarcane with high percentage of sucrose (sugar contains in the sugarcane). While the farmers in the district plant sugarcane in the month of March-April, the agriculture scientists have asked them to plant it during November to January.

Ganjam district sugarcane growers association has hailed the move. “In fact we have been demanding for transport subsidy to undertake seed replacement for last several years”, said general secretary of the association Samir Pradhan. He urged the industry authorities to create awareness about the programme among the farmers.