AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
Sugarcane is one of the most important crops for Pakistan. According to the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, sugarcane is the fourth-largest and second-most important cash crop in Pakistan.
In 2021, the country had 1,260,300 hectares (or 1.3 million hectares) under cultivation for sugarcane, and it produced a total of 88,650,300 tonnes (or 88.6 million tonnes) of sugarcane. It feels like a lot; however, when compared with other countries in terms of yield per hectare production, Pakistan does not seem particularly impressive at all. Peru produced 115.82 tonnes of sugarcane per hectare, followed by Guatemala with 114.72 tonnes of sugarcane, Australia with 85.93 tonnes, Sudan with 72.67 tonnes, Brazil with 71.77 tonnes and finally Pakistan with 70.34 tonnes yield per hectare.
Unfortunately, Pakistan stood in 30th place when it comes to sugarcane yield per hectare in 2021. Peru produced 1.64 times more sugarcane per hectare, followed by Guatemala, which generated 1.63 times more sugarcane per hectare than Pakistan. By enhancing sugarcane production per hectare through implementing sustainable practices, Pakistan can increase its yield per hectare, boost agriculture-based revenue and enhance its ability to produce bagasse-based clean electricity. We have what it takes to make this happen.
A research paper, ‘Water use and deprivation potential for sugarcane cultivation in Pakistan’, points out that sugarcane is among the most water-intensive crops as it requires approximately 400 m3 of water to produce a tonne of sugarcane in Pakistan. Similarly, another policy brief, ‘Unravelling water use efficiency in sugarcane and cotton production in Pakistan’, by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), highlights that the sugarcane crop uses approximately 3.5 times more water than the cotton crop. In fact, sugarcane alone consumes roughly 42 per cent of the total annual household water demand in Pakistan. Thus, the water used in sugarcane production is adequate to provide 42 per cent of the people with 100 litres of water per person per day in Pakistan.
We must work urgently to improve water efficiency in sugarcane production in Pakistan. An excellent strategy in this regard would be to steer sugarcane production towards sustainability by utilising water more efficiently in Pakistan. By producing more crops per drop of water, we can save water that could then be used to mitigate water shortages in Pakistan and to promote sustainable industrial growth in the country.
It is important to point out here that the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) has already categorised Pakistan as a water-stressed country, and if the status quo is maintained, we might soon even be categorised as a water-scarce country. Thus, we must learn to do more with less water in the agricultural sector in Pakistan. Producing more crop per drop and generating 1.5 times more sugarcane per hectare are two much-needed steps in the right direction.
We must study sugarcane production in Peru and Guatemala, as the former generates 1.64 times more sugarcane per hectare and the latter produces 1.63 times more sugarcane per hectare than Pakistan. If Peru and Guatemala can, so can Pakistan. We have what it takes to steer sugarcane production in the direction of Sustainable Development in Pakistan.
We must study sugarcane production in Peru and Guatemala, as the former generates 1.64 times more sugarcane per hectare and the latter produces 1.63 times more sugarcane per hectare than Pakistan. If Peru and Guatemala can, so can Pakistan
Pakistan can indeed learn a lot from Guatemala. As per the UN, Guatemala uses roughly 129 m3 of water to cultivate a ton of sugarcane. It is important to point out that Guatemala consumes 38 per cent less water than the global average to produce a ton of sugarcane. As already discussed, Guatemala produced 114.72 tonnes of sugarcane per hectare in 2021 and stood second on the list in terms of sugarcane production per hectare among major sugarcane-producing countries in the world.
On the contrary, Pakistan roughly uses 400 m3 of water to produce a tonne of sugarcane and produces 70.34 tonnes yield per hectare. Thus, Pakistan uses three times more water than Guatemala to produce a tonne of sugarcane, and its sugarcane crop production is also 44.38 tonnes less per hectare than that of Guatemala. This points out a lot of room for improvement, and closely studying sugarcane production in Guatemala will certainly offer useful insights to the government of Pakistan on how to produce more sugarcane per hectare with less water. More crop per drop and doing more with less water are crucial for Pakistan.
The UN highlights that sugarcane biomass (bagasse) plays an important role in electricity production in Guatemala. In the 1990s, sugar companies generated electricity from bagasse to meet their own needs and sell the surplus to the grid. In 2014, sugar companies generated 10.7 per cent of total electricity, which then exponentially increased to 18.1 per cent of total electricity in 2018.
Bagasse-based electricity in Guatemala is generally produced from November to April, and thus it acts as a perfect back-up for hydropower generation that sharply reduces during the same period in the country. Finally, Guatemala avoided 3.8 million tons of CO2 equivalent during the harvest season 2017-18 by producing electricity from bagasse instead of coal. With the right policy actions implemented in the right direction, Pakistan can certainly reap the same benefits too. We have what it takes to steer sugarcane production toward sustainable development in Pakistan.
A research paper, ‘Assessment of Wastewater Quality of Selected Sugar Mills in Pakistan’, points out that an average of 30,000-40,000 litres of effluent (that is: wastewater) is generated to produce 1 ton of processed sugar. We cannot take this wastewater for granted and we must do all it takes to recycle and reuse this wastewater. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), Singapore turns its sewage into safe and clean drinking water with the help of an advanced filtration and treatment system. In fact, Singapore’s Changi Water Reclamation Plant can treat 900 million litres of wastewater each day. Just like Singapore, Pakistan can also treat its wastewater from processed sugar and use it to fill flush tanks, thereby flushing toilets across the country. By doing so, we will save clean water and can achieve more productivity from each drop of water.
In summary, we possess the necessary tools to steer our sugarcane production towards sustainability in Pakistan. We can sharply reduce water usage per ton of sugarcane production, increase our sugarcane crop productivity by 1.5 times per hectare, increase our bagasse-based electricity generation capacity and recycle wastewater generated by the sugarcane industry.
We have what it takes to make this happen. The ideas discussed here are realistic and achievable, provided enough public policy attention and financial resources are invested in this direction.
The writer is a Stockholm-based policy analyst and the founder/operations manager of Project Green Earth (www.projectge.org). He can be reached at aubhameediyahoo.com