Wider use of high-yield varieties coupled with better farming techniques and some progress in farm mechanisation has boosted sugarcane production from 65.5m tonnes in 2016 to peak 73.6m tonnes in 2017.

This is for the first time that cane output has exceeded 70m tonnes mark. Progressive cane growers say and much of the credit for this remarkable feat goes to use of high yielding varieties including Thatta-10 and LRK-2001 in Sindh and CPF-246 and CPF-247 in Punjab.

In May this year, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (Parc) approved for commercial cultivation two new varieties developed at its research centre in Thatta. Once farmers begin to use these varieties (Thatta-326 and Thatta-2109) on a wide scale, the output of sugarcane would rise further. The two varieties, evolved through exotic fuzz of the bio-parental cross obtained from Louisiana, US, have high yield potential. Earlier in March, Punjab agriculture department had approved three new varieties i.e. HS-240, CPF-213 and CP-77-400.

All these varieties are said to be more resistant to disease and their potential yields are much higher than those already being used by farmers across Pakistan, officials say.

Officials say that experiments carried out in last one year at the sugar research centre of Thatta have established that locally collected sugarcane fuzz or true seed of one variety can be used for developing a higher-yield new variety after cross breeding with true seeds of a different variety.

They say the government is trying to involve the private sector in sugarcane research programmes under public-private partnership with local and foreign institutions shore up financial and technical resources required for conducting research.

All these varieties are said to be more resistant to disease and their potential yields are much higher than those already being used by farmers across Pakistan, officials say

Officials and growers say in addition to wider use of finer varieties of sugarcane in Sindh, Punjab and KP, improved ratoon or stubble cropping, better weed and disease control, increased availability of irrigation water and fertigation (or uniform application of fertiliser mixed with irrigation water) led to higher production in FY17.

Besides, use of more efficient harvesting machinery reduced post-harvest losses and thus boosted net output. “A number of cane growers in Sindh, Punjab and KP now use mini sugarcane harvesters that can reap up to five tonnes of canes per hour and their fuel consumption is also low,” says a progressive can growers from Sindh.

“Similarly, whole stick sugarcane harvester and trash shredder are now in wider operation than a few years ago. Use of this machine is good in that it saves you from the hassle and consequent loss of output in separate harvesting of canes and shredding cane trash.”

Authorities have fixed sugarcane production target for 2017-18 at 68.517m tonnes assuming that the crop would be cultivated over 1.1642m hectares and it would yield a national average of 58,824 tonnes per hectare.

Whereas the targeted area to be brought under cultivation is apparently realistic the projected national average yield is quite conservative and it’ll l hopefully be exceeded, progressive cane growers say.

In 2016-17, sugarcane was sown over an area of 1.217m hectares, up 7.6pc from the previous year’s 1.131m hectares, according to provisional official estimates. This increased area under cultivation plus a higher national average yield, 60.4 tonnes in FY17, up 4.4pc from about 57.9 tonnes in FY17, resulted in an all-time high output of 73.6m tonnes sugarcane in the last fiscal year.

(The latest Suparco report puts sugarcane output estimate even higher—82.6m tonnes but then it also shows the area under cultivation higher at 1.378m hectares).

The consequent increase in sugar output (to 7.1m tonnes up from 5.4m tonnes a year ago) amid lack of proper planning on exports created a sugar glut.

Millowners sitting on huge unsold stocks of sugar have allegedly blocked payments to cane suppliers. “Anticipating that this situation might force many cane growers to switch over to other crops and being mindful of the perils of another sugar glut next year, authorities have set a lower output target for 2017-18,” explains an official of Agri Forum Pakistan.

Officials and growers attribute a larger area under cultivation of sugarcane in FY17 chiefly because cotton growers, upset with the previous year’s output decline, switched over to cane cultivation.

“Cane cultivation is more profitable than cotton because costs of inputs of sugarcane are lower than that of cotton be it certified seeds or fertilisers or the labour employed in harvesting. And another reason is prices of sugar have risen very fast in last 10 years or so enabling sugar millers to pay premiums on sugarcane with higher sucrose content,” says a Sindh-based cane grower.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, July 3rd, 2017