Floods damage Rs 500-cr sugarcane crop in Karnataka

Newly-planted sugarcane crop on over 66,022 hectares has been partly damaged due to heavy rains and subsequent floods in North Karnataka.

According to a damaged crop survey conducted by the state agriculture department, the yield per hectare is likely to halve to around 45 tonnes in flood-affected areas. The loss of crop in value terms was likely to be around Rs 500 crore, the survey said.

Sugar industry sources estimate that an average of Rs 1,800 a tonne is currently paid to farmers in north Karnataka. Considering that the flood-affected area will produce 45 tonnes of sugarcane per hectare on an average, the economic loss will be over Rs 500 crore. In north Karnataka, the average yield per hectare is 90 tonnes.

The loss of crop is substantial given the current circumstances, where the industry is grappling with shortage of cane for the second year in a row. However, some of the area needs to be replanted and the crop will be available for crushing only during the next sugar season starting October 2010.

The state had witnessed sugarcane planting on about 373,000 hectares during this kharif season, while the total target set by the agriculture department is 400,000 hectares for the whole year, about 11 per cent less than last year. However, the harvestable area this year will be marginally higher by 4.3 per cent at 290,000 hectares compared to last year.