After touching a high two years ago, the State is now facing a drastic decline in sugarcane production owing to drought as well as lukewarm response of farmers in the wake of the factories delaying payment of dues.
This has not only put the sugar mills in a spot, but is also bound to reduce production. While 450 lakh tonnes of sugarcane was available for crushing for the 65 sugar mills in the State in 2014-15, the availability reduced to 376.65 lakh tonnes in 2015-16.
Accordingly, sugar production reduced from 49.8 lakh tonnes in 2014-15 to 40.45 lakh tonnes in 2015-16.
However, production is estimated to have reduced by 30 per cent this year owing to shrinking sowing area as well as the drought gripping the State.
The State’s normal sowing area accounts for 4.52 lakh hectare to 5 lakh ha with an average cane yield of around 80 to 100 tonnes per ha. However, this year, cane availability is estimated to be on 3.5 lakh ha. Also, the yield could decline to just 75 to 80 tonnes per ha. The crushing duration could also be reduced from the normal period of 150 days a year to just 70 to 80 days, according to R.B. Khandagave, director, S. Nijalingappa Sugar Institute.
According to him, many traditional sugarcane farmers have switched to other crops.
Farmers’ plight
There are doubts whether farmers would get better prices owing to the decrease in sugarcane yield. This is because the poor quality of produce this year might mean lesser prices since it is linked to the sugar recovery rate (percentage of sugar production from a tonne of sugarcane)
As National Farmers Organisation president B.P. Sheri pointed out, the Karnataka government had not announced State Advisory Price for sugarcane for 2016-17. Meanwhile, Fair and Remunerative Price of the Centre remains at last year’s level of a mere Rs. 2,300 per tonne.
