Aiming to increase the production, the Gujarat State Federation of Co-operative Sugar Factories (GSFCSF) has directed 15 sugar cooperative factories in the state to delay the sowing of the sugarcane crops by a month, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday.
The Federation’s directive to 15 co-operative factories to sow sugarcane crops from October 1 onwards instead of September 1 was based on the research work done by the scientists at Navsari Agricultural University (NAU).
The farmers are members of sugar co-operative bodies and carry out the sowing and crushing of the crops based on the instruction of sugar bodies. It is to be noted that the farmers of different districts in South Gujarat had earlier raised the issue of less sugar production before the cooperative bodies.
The GSFCSF had requested the NAU’s Sugarcane Research Centre to “study the reason behind the low production of sugarcane”. Following this, a four-member panel from NAU, including research centre head Dr Shailesh Mali and professors H M Viradiya (agronomist), K D Patel (soil scientist), Jayesh Pastagiya (entomologist), carried out their research at Chalthan Sugar Co-operative factory and Bardoli Sugar Co-operative factory in Surat district. The team also collected data in connection with their respective productions, said sources.
The team also spoke to over 25 farmers of Chalthan and Bardoli factories while examining the agricultural land where the sugarcane farming was being done, said sources.
A few days back, the research team submitted their report to the GSFCSF. On the basis of the findings, the GSFCSF directed all 15 sugar co-operative mills to intimate farmers “to do sowing (plantation) of sugarcane October 1 onwards instead of following the routine September 1”.
Providing more details, research centre head Dr Shailesh Mali said, “As per our findings, the farmers generally sow (plant) sugarcane in the fields on September 1. For the last five years, September has witnessed heavy rainfall which affects the production, so sugarcane crops should be sowed from October 1 onwards”.
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“One month’s delay will help the land to dry up entirely. We have found that the majority of the farmers skip practices like ploughing or use cultivators on the land to make it ready for sowing. During the summer season, the farmers carry out the ridges and furrow farming on the land and keep it for a longer time, as a result of which weed starts growing. The farmers use weedicides to control weeds, affecting the land’s productivity,” added Mali.
“The farmers also skipped doing green manure in their fields in June and July to increase land fertility. We have also suggested that sowing should be done per month, with 25 per cent sowing to be done in September, followed by the same percentage in the remaining months. Due to monthly sowing, the harvesting (of the crops) can also be done within the same time schedule after 13 months,” Dr Mali said further.
“Generally, if 50 per cent sugarcane crops are planted on September 1 and the remaining on the next day, it takes 16 to 17 months for harvesting. There are lakhs of farmers who sow their crops on the same day (on September 1), so they have to wait for their turn to crush the crops since the crushing in all the fields is done by the sugar co-operative bodies,” Dr Mali added further.
There are 15 sugar co-operative factories in Gujarat, including Bardoli (Surat), Madhi (Surat), Chalthan (Surat), Pandvai (Surat), Kamrej (Surat), Sayan (Surat), Mahuva (Surat), Kantha Vibhag (Surat), Vatariya (Bharuch), Gandevi (Navsari), Valsad, Coper (Tapi), Ukai (Tapi), Dharikheda (Narmada) and Gandhar (Vadodara).
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According to the figures received from GSFCSF, in 2021-22, sugarcane was grown on 1,41,486 hectares of land, and production was 79.11 metric tons per hectare. Similarly, in 2022-23, sugarcane was grown on 1,34,601 hectares of land, and production was 74.19 metric tons per hectare. In 2023-24, sugarcane was grown on 1,10,628 hectares, and production was 80.86 metric tons per hectare.
GSFCSF chairman Hansot Ishwar Patel told The Indian Express, “We have instructed the sugar co-operative bodies to inform the farmers to do sowing activity on October 1 or month-wise.” “We have also found that the land area on which sugarcane was grown five years ago has gone down. The government should do something about this issue.”