In the previous blog post, we discussed some key points about the sugarcane cultivation: the soil, temperature and climate the sugarcane crop needs to thrive along with the areas where it is abundantly grown in India. Here we will focus on the key challenges that farmers and sugarcane mills face in India. Low yield per hectare: Even though India has huge area under sugarcane cultivation, the yield per hectare is very low compared to some of the leading sugarcane producing nations in the world. India produces 65 tonnes/hectare as compared to 90 and 120 tonnes/hectare in Java and Hawaii respectively.

The low overall production leads to less supply of sugarcane in mills. Steps are being taken to ensure this problem is resolved by introducing high yielding, frost resistant, early maturing and high sucrose content varieties of sugarcane; additionally, steps are also being taken to fight diseases and pests that are harmful for the crop. Chloropyrifos 1.5% DP, a popular pesticide manufactured by HPM India, one of the leading agrochemical suppliers, is used to kill harmful insects and pests.

Short crushing season: Producing sugar is a seasonal affair with short crushing season which varies from four to seven months in a year. In the remaining months, the mills and the workers are left jobless which leads to financial challenges for the mill owners. One of the ways to ramp up the crushing season is to sow and harvest sugarcane crops at a fixed interval in varied areas adjoining the sugarcane mills. This will ensure consistent supply of sugarcane to the mills.

Inconsistent production trends: Sugarcane competes with various crops like rice, wheat, cotton, etc., hence, the land available for the cultivation of sugar is often not enough to grow the crop is bulk quantity leading to fluctuation in production trends. This impacts the supply of sugarcane to the mills and manufacturing of sugar is also affected as a result.

Small size of sugar mills and shoddy regional distribution: Most of the mills in India are tiny with a capacity of 1,500 tonnes of production per day, thus making large scale production not feasible. More than 50 percent of the sugar mills are in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. And over 60 percent of sugar production happens in these two states. However, in several states like Jammu and Kashmir, Orissa and parts of North-East India, there is no presence of the sugar industry which is a serious concern. This often leads to imbalances in regional distribution.

Obsolete and old machinery: Majority of the machines which are currently in use in sugar mills across India, mainly in states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, are obsolete and old. Being more than 50-60 years old, these machines need immediate rehabilitation. Sugar mills in India need state-of-the-art machinery which would help in producing better quality sugar. However, a low margin of profits prevents many mill owners to replace or upgrade old machines with the new one.

These are some of the challenges that plague the sugarcane industry in India. However, with guidance, help and assistance from government and other agricultural associations, this problem can be easily overcome.