U'khand offers sops to boost sugarcane

The Uttarakhand government is planning to provide incentives to farmers to boost sugarcane production that is dwindling in the state and has virtually brought the crushing season to a halt.

“We are working on a plan to provide some incentives so as to encourage farmers in the fields of sugarcane,” said a top government official, who requested anonymity. A formal announcement in this regard is likely to be made after the Lok Sabha elections.

Under the new plan, the government would add 15,000 hectares raising it to 112,000 hectares, the official added.

Sugarcane production has already fallen 20-30 per cent due to the shrinking cane acreage. The growing disenchantment among farmers too has contributed to the shortfall with farmers in Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar and Nainital districts switching to other crops.

Of the total 10 sugarmills in the state, eight are already closed and the remaining two are likely to close within the next few days due to acute shortage of sugarcane. Sugar production in the state, which was 4 million quintal last year, is likely to fall 50 percent. The revised estimates suggest that sugar production would touch 2.1 million quintal only this year. The crushing season too has been restricted to 90 days on the average this season. Last year, the season was extended to 120 days.

Sugarcane production, which touched 78.5 million quintal last year, is estimated at 63 million quintal during 2008-09, according to official statistics. Similarly, the sugarcane area in the state has also been reduced by 20-25 percent, which is now being estimated at 97,000 hectares.