SUGARCANE cultivation is carried out for sugar and its products. Besides this, a number of valuable by-products like alcohol used by pharmaceutical industry, ethanol used as a fuel, bagasse used for paper and chipboard manufacturing and press mud as a rich source of organic matter and nutrients for crops are obtained from cane.

Pakistan ranks fifth in the world in cotton production but 15th in sugar. Sugar production has increased from 35,989 thousand tons in 1990-91 to 45,316 thousand tons in 2004-05 while acreage has also increased from 884 thousand hectares to 1,074 thousand hectares in 2003-04.Per hectare cane yield has increased from 40,720 kg to 47,852kg during the same period.

However, per hectare cane yield is well below potential. Our neighbouring country is obtaining about 53 per cent higher cane yield.

Though sugar consumption is on increase but its production is on decline mainly due to reduction in cane growing area. Current consumption is around 3.6 million tons. Area under cane crop has decreased from 1074 thousand hectares to 947 thousand hectares last year resulting in the target fall. Last year, cane harvest obtained was of the size of 49 million tons. On the other hand, cane production was 53 million tons in 2003-04.

Cane production was reduced by 15.2 per cent in 2004-05 due to numerous causes. Water shortage was the main reason. Rains were below normal and farmers were unable to get adequate supply of water. There was 25 per cent reduction in water supply during Rabi season. The situation was even worse in Sindh.

So, the growers preferred cultivation of sunflower and cotton which were low delta crops over cane. Depending on crop cultivars, soil type and intensity of rainfall, water requirement of cane crop ranges between 100 to 120 acre-inches.

To add to this, cane growers do not get desirable prices of their produce due to marketing system. Mill owners do not treat growers well. Delay in payments is a common phenomenon. Growers get fewer prices per 40kg cane owing to engagement of middlemen in the marketing process.

To increase the area and production of cane, it is imperative not only to overcome weaknesses in the existing marketing system but also encourage growers through supply of inputs like seed, fertilizers, machinery and credit etc.

It should be born in mind that owing to shortage of cane, the sugar industry is not operating at optimum capacity of 5.5 million tons of sugar. It is therefore, essential to enhance higher cane production to enable the industry to operate at optimum level. By this, we will not only be able to overcome the problem of shortage of sugar but will also have sugar surplus for export.

Adopting modern agronomic measures, the farmers can increase cane production per unit area significantly. Proper selection and preparation of land, recommended planting methods, planting at appropriate time, preventing moisture stress at critical growth stages, efficient management of ratoon crop, harvesting at optimum time, maintaining soil fertility, use of high yielding cultivars, effective control of pests, disease and weeds are a few suggestions in this regard.