Unfavourable weather conditions lead to fall in sugarcane yield rate

24-Dec-2024 08:50 PM

The sugarcane yield rate in India's top three sugar-producing states—Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka—is facing a decline due to a combination of adverse weather conditions, natural calamities, and insect-disease attacks. These states collectively account for over 80% of the country's total sugar production.

In Maharashtra, particularly in Solapur, the average sugarcane yield, which typically ranges from 120 to 130 tonnes per hectare, has dropped to around 80 tonnes per hectare. This decline in yield is attributed to unfavorable weather conditions.

In Uttar Pradesh, while the sugarcane crop was largely unaffected by last year's drought, this year, it is suffering from an insect-disease attack, specifically red rot, which has negatively impacted the yield. To mitigate this, farmers are being encouraged to adopt newer, more resilient varieties of sugarcane.

Karnataka's sugarcane crop has also experienced significant damage, contributing to the overall reduction in yield.

Despite this, the domestic sugar industry is seeking permission to export 20 lakh tonnes of sugar. However, the government has been hesitant to grant this request.

It has indicated that any surplus sugar, after fulfilling ethanol requirements, might be allowed for export in limited quantities.

Given the revised production estimates, which are significantly lower than the government's initial forecast of 320 lakh tonnes, it seems unlikely that there will be any major surplus for export.

According to an industry analyst, sugar production this season is expected to shrink to around 270 lakh tonnes, a reduction of 50 lakh tonnes from previous estimates.