Satellite images suggest 8% higher Sugarcane acreages over last year
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New Delhi: Based on the satellite images procured by Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) in the latter part of June 2020, the total acreage under sugarcane in the country is estimated to be around 52.28 lakh hectares in 2020-21 SS. It is about 8% higher than 2019-20 sugar season’s cane area of around 48.41 lakh ha.
The images of the cane area, field reports regarding expected yield, sugar recovery, drawal percentage, impact of previous and current year’s rainfall, water availability in reservoirs, expected rainfall during SW monsoon 2020 and other related aspects were discussed by representatives from sugar producing States from across the country.
There was an agreement that sugarcane and sugar production during 2020-21 SS would be higher than what is expected to be produced in 2019-20 SS, and that the increase in production will mainly come from Maharashtra and Karnataka, where sugarcane and sugar production had dropped due to drought in previous year.
Uttar Pradesh, the leading sugarcane producing State in the country, is estimated to have sugarcane area at 22.92 lakh hectares, as against 23.21 lakh ha. in 2019-20 SS, i.e. a marginal decrease by about 1%. ISMA is expecting a marginal increase in yield as well as sugar recovery in 2020-21 SS, owing to good overall standing crop condition and continued replacement of cane variety by high yielding and high sugared cane varieties in more areas.
The other major sugar producing State, viz. Maharashtra’s net cane area has gone up by about 43% in 2020-21 SS, which is mainly due to above normal SW and NE monsoon in 2019, followed by normal rainfall from January to March’ 2020. As against the net cane area of 7.76 lakh ha. in 2019-20 SS, area is expected to increase to 11.12 lakh ha in 2020-21.
