Sugarcane crop damaged due to insect attack - sugar production likely to decrease

06-Dec-2024 11:29 AM

The sugarcane crop in India is facing significant challenges due to an outbreak of insects and diseases, particularly in the country's top three sugarcane producing states: Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. These issues are likely to reduce the overall yield of sugarcane, leading to a decrease in sugar production and potentially affecting the supply of sugarcane for ethanol production.

The Union Agriculture Ministry had previously projected a slight decline in national sugarcane production for the 2024-25 season, estimating a decrease of 132.28 lakh tonnes from the 2023-24 season's production of 4531.58 lakh tonnes to 4399.30 lakh tonnes. However, the actual production is now expected to be even lower than this estimate due to the ongoing insect and disease problems.

Initial data for the current marketing season (October-November 2024) shows a notable drop in sugar production compared to the same period last year:

• Uttar Pradesh: From 13.05 lakh tonnes to 12.90 lakh tonnes.
• Maharashtra: From 13.50 lakh tonnes to 4.60 lakh tonnes.
• Karnataka: From 11 lakh tonnes to 7 lakh tonnes.

This decline is attributed to factors like the late start of sugarcane crushing in Maharashtra and a lower number of operational mills compared to last year. Despite these setbacks, there are hopes that the sugar production situation will improve as crushing operations have now started in full swing across the key producing states.

In Uttar Pradesh, the CO 0238 variety of sugarcane has been particularly impacted by a red rot pest infestation, leading to a 10-15% expected drop in yield. The Moradabad division of the state has been the hardest hit, with pest infestations being widespread, though varying in intensity across different districts.