Sugar plan

Sugarcane is an important cash crop of Pakistan. A number of sugar mills (about 88) have been established in the country. Also, some portion of the crop is used for production of 'Gur' especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan is the world’s fifth largest producer and eighth largest consumer of sugar. The sugar industry is the second largest agriculture based industry after textile. It merits a mention that the minimum support price of sugarcane has remained a bone of contention between sugar mills and farmers for years. The resultant sugar shortage has badly affected consumers and the industry.

Sugarcane is a long duration crop as compared to other cash crops grown in the country. It requires great skill and huge investment in the form of inputs on the part of the farmers to grow this labour intensive and cost-oriented crop. The farmers are faced with a host of problems in the form of increase in cost of inputs, high labour rates, water charges etc. However, at the end of the day, the farmers are at the mercy of the sugar mills and are unable to get even cost of production of the crop and to have both ends meet. It is to be mentioned that sucrose recovery percentage in sugarcane varieties in Pakistan has an important role in increase of sugar price. Also, the average sucrose percentage in sugarcane depends upon the varieties, maturity stage, climate, soil and plantation time. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt the sampling plan to have clear picture on sucrose contents in different varieties. This will help in fixation of minimum support prices of sugar in a more scientific way. The average sucrose percentage may vary during the crushing season. Also, PCSIR laboratories in Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar have the facilities to determine sucrose percentage in sugarcane.

Khan Faraz

Peshawar