UP to harness GPS technology for sugarcane area survey

GPS will enhance accuracy of acreage estimates and help sugar mills ascertain cane availability in their reservation area

Uttar Pradesh government has mandated Global Positioning System (GPS) technology for estimating the sugarcane acreage for the 2016-17 crushing season.

GPS is a satellite-based navigation, wherein GPS satellites circle the Earth in a precise orbit and transmit signals. With the help of technology tools, one can determine the exact position of an object and display it on an electronic map for analysis. It can also be used for ascertaining the cropped area.

GPS will ensure acreage estimates are more accurate to enable the state sugarcane department brace for the impending season. Besides, it would help the state sugar mills in ascertaining cane availability in their reservation area.

UP cane commissioner Vipin Kumar Dwivedi today also issued the UP Sugarcane Survey Policy 2016, which stresses upon the authenticity and preciseness of the survey data for analytical purposes.

The state government is further aiming at increasing cane area by 5 percent and facilitating cane sowing through trench method across 10 percent of the acreage.

As per last year's estimates by the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), the cane area in UP during 2015-16 was about 2.30 million hectares (MH), which was almost flat compared to previous year. However, the actual cane production had dropped due to unseasonal rains in the subsequent months even as the crushing season was on.

Meanwhile, the state government is targetting at replacing the rejected/unsuitable cane varieties and ensuring early variety across 40 per cent of the total cropped area.

The government is attempting at increasing cane yield to 70 tonnes per hectare from the current level of about 65 tonnes to maximise farmers' income.

During the current year, UP sugar mills had so far produced 6.8 million tonnes (MT) of sugar compared to 7.04 MT in 2014-15. The state sugar mills had clocked better sugar recovery of about 10.50 percent this year.