Sugarcane production is estimated to be around 350 million tonnes (mt) as against 315 mt last year, according to the latest estimates of the agricultural ministry for the year 2011-12.
This is part of the annual projections of the agricultural ministry for the year.
Sugarcane is an important cash crop, mostly used for manufacturing sugar, an essential commodity.
Besides traditional sugarcane growers, many farmers have also shifted to sugarcane production, lured by attractive global prices , domestic demand and remunerative prices. Officials said the average cane price paid to farmers in 2010-11 was much more than last year as both, the central government-fixed ‘fair and remunerative price’ and the state advised price were much higher.
According to the data till date, cane acreage is 5.16 million hectares (ha) as against 4.89 million ha in the corresponding period last year. While acreage has grown 2.70 per cent year-on-year, the growth is still lagging as compared to 4.44 million ha in 2009-10 and negative if compared to 2008-09.
Officials explained that 2008-09 has been the best year for the cane crop with acreage of 5.26 million ha.
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According to estimates, while the normal acreage, calculated as an average of the last five years, is 4.75 million ha and the target acreage is at 5.49 million ha.
Domestic sugar consumption is estimated at an average of 22 mt per annum. The major cane producers are Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, which contribute 47 per cent of the total acreage, but have only 38 per cent share in total domestic production, as its yields are below the national average of 65,000 kg per hectare.
The second-largest producer is Maharashtra, with share of over 20 per cent in production, followed by Tamil Nadu with a share of 11 per cent.
Sugarcane output was a record 355.5 mt in 2006.
Sugar production in India averaged at 21.3 mt during 2000, which increased to 30.7 mt in 2005-06. According to market reports, sugar output in India is likely to be around 25 mt this year.