Sugar production is likely to fall this year as prolonged drought has affected sugarcane cultivation significantly. While 2.24 lakh metric tonne (MT) sugarcane was crushed in 2012-13, the factory authorities expect only 1.30 lakh MT output this season (2013-14).
"The drought has affected sugarcane cultivation to a great deal. The yield has reduced many folds," said M Sembukutty, managing director of Alanganallur National Cooperative Sugar Factory where sugarcane crushing commenced on Thursday with Madurai district collector L Subramanian inaugurating the process in the company of AIADMK MLAs. Farmers held a ritual prior to running the machines.
Alanganallur factory commands sugarcane cultivation in Madurai, Dindigul and Virudhunagar districts. Though sugarcane could be cultivated for 13,200 acres in these districts, the factory could register only 7,600 acres this season," he said.
Sugarcane farmers expressed their worries over the reduced crop and poor prices. "It costs nearly Rs 40,000 to raise one acre of sugarcane with a yield of 35 tonnes under normal conditions. But drought has reduced the yield to hardly 15 tonnes per acre," said T Alaguraja, secretary of Sugarcane Farmers Association at Alanganallur.
Farmers have urged the state government to fix the state-approved price for sugarcane at Rs 3,500 per tonne. Last season, farmers were paid Rs 2,339. This will not be sufficient this year as input costs have rose. "Cutting charge alone comes up to Rs 700 per tonne. The government can at least bear the cutting charges so that we are spared of additional burden," said K Abbas, president of sugarcane farmers. Sugarcane cultivation is no longer remunerative and if farmers are not getting adequate prices from the government, they will not be in a position to continue cultivating cane, farmers here said.
Sugar factory officials said they are procuring sugarcane at prices fixed last year. "Till the state announces new procurement prices, we will start procuring at that rate. We will disburse the additional amount for sugarcane procuring at old prices," said Sembukutty.
Crushing of sugarcane is believed to last till March next year, though the production prolonged till May last season.
Source:- timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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