Dwindling sugarcane yield leaves cultivators of Punjab and Haryana with bitter taste
Even as the sugar industry of the country is reaping in rich profits by making the most of the hiked prices of sugar and ethanol, sugarcane growers in Punjab and Haryana are reeling under the poor yield and higher input cost.
Reports from sugarcane growers in both states portray a grim scenario as far as sugarcane cultivation is concerned. Growers are grappling with a bitter experience, attributed to falling yields, marginal increase in state advised price (SAP), rampant diseases and rising costs of fertilisers, pesticides and labour.
The primary concern for sugarcane farmers is the dwindling yields due to pest attacks, resulting in a substantial drop of 80 to 100 quintals per acre.
Both states have witnessed consistent fall in the sugarcane acreage and production in the past two years. According to farmers, the productivity has fallen due to sudden pest attack in the Co 0238 variety.
As per farmers and sugarcane experts, major diseases like red-rot, top-borer and pokkah boeng have been reported in sugarcane. But the largely grown Co 0238 variety, once termed as ‘Wonder Variety’ by the ICAR, is causing losses to the farmers.
“This is the worst year for the sugarcane farmers as yield has reported a decline of around 100 quintals per acre following diseases, thus forcing the farmers to shun cane crop,” said farmer leader Harsulinder Singh from Jalandhar, who has reduced area under cane crop to 10 acres from 40 acres last year due to fall in yield.
“Sugarcane harvesting is done manually by migrant labourers. Due to poor yield their job has become difficult and they are now charging Rs 55 to Rs 60 per quintal for harvesting against Rs 42 to Rs 45 they charged last year,” said sugarcane grower Nirmal Singh of Yamunanagar of Haryana.
Rajinder Kaushik, deputy general manager, Saraswati Sugar Mill in Yamunanagar, says, “Besides the poor yield, increasing labour cost is a major cause behind falling acreage of cane crop as the harvesting cost is increasing year by year.”
Both Punjab and Haryana have witnessed a substantial decline in cultivated area, with Punjab at around 88,000 hectares and Haryana at 96,000 hectares, down from 92,000 hectares and 1.08 lakh hectares in 2020-21, respectively.
