Supplies to sugar mills may be hit as cane area shrinks

New Delhi, May 14

The country’s two leading sugar producing States — Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra — may see significant reductions in cane availability during the ensuing 2008-09 crushing season (October-September).

Farmers in UP normally plant sugarcane during March-May, which is ready for crushing after 10-11 months from the subsequent late-January to April period. “This year, plantings are down by about 15 per cent. The area is lower by 10 per cent in western UP, 15 per cent in central and 20 per cent in the eastern region,” said Mr C.B. Patodia, Adviser to the K.K. Birla Group of Sugar Companies.

But the problem is not just in respect to the plant-cane, but also the ratoon crop that does not require any planting and sprouts from the root stubbles of the harvested plant-cane. The ratoon is a shorter nine-month crop maturing between November and January, depending on when the previous plant-cane was harvested.

“Some growers this time have chosen not to tend even the ratoon crop. Instead, they have sown urad (black matpe) or jowar (sorghum) for fodder use. Both these can be harvested prior to the planting of paddy from June onwards. In a few cases, where the plant cane was harvested towards late-January, farmers have even gone for short-duration wheat,” according to Mr Sanjay Tapriya, Director (Finance), Simbhaoli Sugars Ltd.

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