Sugarcane output in Gujarat on the decline

The sugarcane production in Gujarat is constantly decreasing despite the increased cultivation area. The reasons given by farmers and experts are overirrigation and pest attacks. However, the overall production of the state's sugar is on the rise.

As per the figures given by the Gujarat State Co-operative Sugar Industry Federation, sugarcane cultivation in 2005-2006 spread over a total area of 1,58,128 hectare while the production of sugarcane stood at 71.530 metric tonnes per hectare.

While the per hectare production of sugarcane was 80.026 metric tonne in 1992-1993, the cultivation area was only 89,012 hectare.

The figures further reveal that the production of sugarcane per hectare is decreasing by the year despite increasing cultivation area. Figures of state sugarcane production for the last five years clearly indicate this.

The state's sugarcane cultivation was over an area of 1,41,000 hectare in 2001-2002 and the production was 74.038 metric tonnes per hectare. While in 2002-2003, the cultivation area shot up to 1,73,9919 hectare and production of sugarcane decreased to 72.813 metric tonne per hectare.

The year after that in 2003-04, while the sugarcane cultivation area was 1,50,000 hectare, the production fell to 67.190 metric tonne per hectare. However, 2004-05 was an exception when the production of sugarcane stood at 70 metric tonne per hectare while the cultivated area was 1,29,774 hectare.

During 2005-06, the production of sugarcane was 71.530 metric tonne per hectare and the cultivation area in the state was 1,58,128 hectare.

Starting from 1992-93 till 2005-06 the lowest production registered was in 1994-95 when sugarcane was cultivated in an area of 1,13,833 hectare and the production was only 61.109 metric tonnes per hectare.

The highest production was registered during 1993-94 when the state reaped a rich harvest of 82.083 metric tonne per hectare and the cultivation area was only 95,199 hectare.

Agreeing that the sugarcane production is decreasing year after year, DU Patel, a scientist working with the Navsari Krishi University's Sugarcane Research Centre, said, "The fall in state's sugarcane production is quite clear as farmers in the state have the capacity to produce nearly 100 metric tonne sugarcane per hectare. In 1990-91, the state's sugarcane production was 89.6 metric tonne and it has gone down to 71.530 metric tonne per hectare in 2005-06."

He said that among the various reasons, the main was that the farmers were using the same type of seeds every year.

"The COC 671 is used every year and farmers are not ready to use new variety of seeds. The other is the attack of red rot and wilt, which harms the production. There is a problem of overirrigation also. The farmers are using excess water to irrigate their crops. Besides, the imbalanced use of fertilisers has saturated the soil and has cast a negative effect on the production," he said.