A farmer in TN Palayam in Erode district has now become a role model for sugarcane growers by recording a massive yield of 98.3 tonnes per acre.
A. Perumalsamy of Vaniputhur village shot to limelight after he turned his two acres into a most productive farm by adopting some of the best cultivation practices and harvested a yield of 98.3 tonnes two months ago.
The average cane yield in the district is around 45 to 50 tonnes per acre. Only a few growers report yield above 80 tonnes. “I never expected that I would record a yield above 90 tonnes. I just expected a yield around 70 tonnes. Many farmers are now visiting my field to learn about the cultivation practices,” says the farmer.
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When Mr. Perumalsamy, a registered cane grower with Sakthi Sugars Limited at Aappakoodal, decided to cultivate sugarcane in 2010, he heard about the ‘100 tonne farmers club' initiative launched by the sugar mill and approached the cane office seeking the advice of experts.
He raised the nursery with the seeds provided by the mill and planted quality two budded sets with adequate spacing in December 2010. He chose to install drip irrigation due to shortage of water in the farm. “This decision has turned out to be very good and also helped me to adopt fertigation. The optimal application of fertiliser and water is the primary reason for the higher yield. Earlier, we used to water the crop excessively and adopt conventional method of applying fertilisers that led to a lower crop yield,” he explains.
“We have listed a number of best practices under our ‘100 tonne farmers club' initiative. In fact, we tested these practices on a trial basis in 133 acres. Many farmers who participated in the trial run reported a yield of above 80 tonnes per acre. Mr. Perumalsamy is one of them,” explains P. Ashok Kumar, Senior Manager (Cane), Sakthi Sugars Limited.
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“With the cost of cultivation going up, we have no other option but to enhance the yield. That is the only way to make sugarcane cultivation more profitable,” points out Mr. Perumalsamy.
The farmer has taken up sugarcane this year too. “I am confident that the yield will be higher this year as well,” he says.