Karnataka - Belgaum

Good monsoon may boost sugarcane production

Staff Correspondent

Sugar units unable to crush to capacity owing to cane shortage

BELGAUM: Although sugarcane is cultivated on a large scale on irrigated land, a good monsoon is expected to boost the production this year.

Sugarcane cultivation was severely hit in the district, which is known as the "sugar bowl" of the State, over the past couple of years. But for two sugar units — Sri Renuka Sugars Ltd. in Munoli of Saundatti taluk and The Ugar Sugar Works in Ugar of Athani taluk — all units in the cooperative sector have been facing a shortage in sugarcane supply and cannot utilise their installed capacity for crushing sugarcane.

One of the reasons is that farmers are allegedly diverting sugarcane, particularly those having their fields in the border areas, to factories in Maharashtra, which are paying higher prices for their produce.

A few years ago, sugarcane was cultivated on over five lakh acres.

For five years, marred by three years of drought and alleged improper management, the area under this major commercial crop has been shrinking.

As against the target of three lakh acres, sugarcane was cultivated only on 1.84 lakh acres, which shows a gap of about 40 per cent in the projected target and actual production. The sugarcane production then was 48,43,846 tonnes.

The highest sugarcane production of 5.63 lakh tonnes was recorded in the area coming under Sri Doodhganga Sahakara Sakkare Karkhane in Chikkodi taluk while the lowest of 1.80 lakh tonnes was in the area under Athani Farmers Sugar Factory in Athani. The poor figure is attributed to the severe drought during the preceding three years.

According to official sources, sugarcane productivity was hit because of white pest attack.

In 2005-06, according to official sources, sugarcane is being cultivated on 2.45 lakh acres in the district.

This shows that sugarcane cultivation has come down by almost half in seven years.

The taluk-wise figures show that the area under sugarcane is the largest in Athani taluk (27,770 hectares) followed by Gokak (19,120 hectares). Belgaum has the smallest area of 1,036 hectares under the crop. The figures for the other taluks are: Bailhongal (2,981 hectares), Chikkodi (17,530), Hukkeri (2,800), Khanapur (3,462), Raibag (18,912), Ramdurg (1,992) and Saundatti (2,391).

Sources said the targets were marginally crossed in areas under the Krishna River belt, particularly in Athani, Chikkodi and Raibag taluks.

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