The intensity of sugar crisis, which the country had at the peak of crushing season last year, has shown no sign of lessening due to shortfall in sugarcane production as several sugar mills fear early closure.
Sugarcane price controversy between growers and mills still persists despite several meetings have been held between the stakeholders to reach consensus over a non-inflationary price structure acceptable to both sides on the basis of 'quality-not-quantity' and profit to both sides.
The cane price controversy, delay in crushing season by millowners to get maximum sucrose content at the cost of growers, lack of understanding between growers and millowners, delay in payment, improper use of sugarcane cess, non-payment of quality premium are some of the reasons which forced the growers to shift to other crops, with the result that the area under cane cultivation has been on constant decline, and during past two years 33.36 percent decline was recorded in area and around 50 percent in production.
Unwarranted delay in commencing crushing and price controversy also forced the growers to manufacture 'gur' (raw sugar). A visit to Naushero Feroze district showed that the cane growers, instead of supplying cane to sugar mills, had started producing around 1500 maunds 'gur' per day and marketing it at Rs 900 per 40 kg in Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas and Quetta.
Cane growers Umeed Ali Kerio and Abdul Rahim told Business Recorder that small growers can not afford delay in crushing season and, to clear their land for wheat crop, most of the growers at Bhiria Road, Lakha Road, Pad Idan, and Mehrabpur had started manufacturing 'gur' and were getting reasonable price. Local traders further confirmed that 'gur' has ready market.
Gur is largely consumed in rural Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Afghanistan as it contains 65 to 75 sugar content, 15 percent invert sugar, 5 percent ash and 5 percent moisture. Besides, it contains very small quantity of fat, protein and minerals of nutritive value.
The growers believe that sugar millowners have exploited them for years together by influencing the government on sugarcane price and over the commencement of crushing season, while they are also pleading for amendment in Sugar Factory Act and offering price including quality premium slightly more than the state set price.
The agro-economists, analysing the situation, are of the view that, if at all, the cane growers and sugar mills reached an understanding on all controversial issues, it will be hard to bring back the growers who have shifted to other cash crops having ready market and better price. They said that it was economic uncertainty, which resulted in constant declining of the area under sugarcane production.
Government policies towards sugar sector remain unproductive as these policies were based on incorrect data. The lack of vital data could be gauged by the statistics pronounced by government functionaries, which time and again differ from person to person. For instance, government functionaries estimate consumption of refined sugar at 15 to 20 kg per person per year whereas agriculture economist are of the view that per capita consumption is 25 kg--more than neighbouring India. The estimate of other crops is not different to that of sugarcane.
Since the area under sugarcane cultivation cannot be increase, the only option left is improvement per acre yield. The sugarcane variety PL-4 that covers an area of 70 t0 75 percent in Sindh has the potential to provide a yield of 15 tons per acre. Similarly, the other variety COL-116 has potential to give yield to of 11 to 12 tons per acre. What is needed is proper technological support and credit line to achieve the desired results.
A long-term strategy should be evolved under which agriculture scientists should be assigned the task to select favourable zones for every crop including sugarcane, where the crop seeds germinate grow and flourish to gain optimum yield and, if needed, streamline the entire cultivation pattern and agronomy keeping in view time factor of every crop.
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