Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Saturday, Jul 15, 2006
Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Saturday, Jul 15, 2006 |
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Agri-Biz & Commodities
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Sugar States - Other States Orissa urged to take up sugarcane farming in a big way Our Bureau
Demand and supply Orissa is crushing only 4.5 lakh tonnes of sugarcane and getting around 45,000 tonnes of sugar as against the requirement of more than 4 lakh tonnese State.
Bhubaneswar , July 14 Orissa's rural economy can witness a drastic change if the Government encouraged sugarcane farming in the State with a sincere approach, according to Mr J.J. Bhagat, Director of the Sugar Technology Mission. Mr Bhagat, who was on a visit to the State, said that Orissa's sugarcane production could be increased by 20 times if there was a strong political will to help the farmers. At present, Orissa is crushing only 4.5 lakh tonnes of sugarcane and getting around 45,000 tonnes of sugar as against the requirement of more than 4 lakh tonnes of sugar in the State.
Encouraging models
Mr Bhagat pointed out that most of the prosperous States in the country such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh had wide cultivation of sugarcane, which helped in generating huge employment opportunities at the village level, thereby improving the rural economy. He further said that due to proper selection of sugarcane variety for cultivation and awareness among the farmers, Karnataka was producing as high as 120 tonnes of sugarcane per acre as against 25 to 30 tonnes of produce per acre in Orissa. Correct farming practice and government support in providing irrigation facility can change the situation in Orissa, he added.
Bio-fuel, a key spur
Mr Bhagat also underlined the need for extensive cultivation of sugarcane in the country as it produces ethanol, one of the best bio-fuels that enhance efficiency and cut down hazardous emissions by vehicles. Mr Bhagat visited 11 villages in the State's Nayagarh and adjoining district of Khurda where the farmers were getting back to sugarcane farming in a big way. It has been possible due to the motivation campaign launched by the authorities of Nayaagarh Sugar Complex, which was taken over by a private entrepreneur in November 2004 after lying defunct for nearly five years. The chairman of the Nayaagarh Sugar Complex, Mr Trailokya Mishra, is hopeful that his efforts will prove beneficial to farmers in Nayagarh and adjoining areas in the coming years. Orissa has only five sugar mills that are functional at present. The State has been lagging behind in sugarcane production primarily because there is no separate Commissionerate for promoting sugarcane cultivation. The Director of Agriculture in the State was declared as ex-officio Commissioner of Sugar four years ago, but the Commissionerate has not been made functional so far. Apart from shortage of sugar, there exists a huge gap between demand and availability of molasses for production of rectified spirit, alcohol and base for country liquor in the State.
More Stories on : Sugar | Cultivation | Other States
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