Disproving estimates, sugarcane area in Andhra Pradesh has gone up by 11.57 per cent last season, receiving strong gains from ratoon (sprouts that come out after cane is cut. Farmers generally go for 2-3 ratoon crops.).
Despite a steep fall in plantation (by 23 per cent) at 82,293 hectare, the total area has gone up to two lakh ha as against 1.79 lakh ha as ratoon plantation has gone up by 65 per cent. This has resulted in an average growth of 11.57 per cent in area for this crushing season.
The sugarcane crushing season in Andhra Pradesh has entered peak phase, with factories registering a total crushing of 52 lakh tonnes of cane so far as against 41.47 lakh tonnes the same time last year.
The State, with 37 factories, produced 47 lakh quintals (36 lakh quintals) of sugar. Recovery rate has gone up to 9.03 per cent (quantity of sugar generated per tonne) this year as against 8.76 per cent, Mr Sudhender Rao, Deputy Commissioner of Sugar (Government of Andhra Pradesh), told
UNHAPPY FARMERS
Farmers, however, are not a happy lot. Despite their protests and Government's diktat to factories that they should pay Rs 2,500 for a tonne of cane, almost all factories are paying in the range of Rs 1,700-Rs 2,200. Factories in the cooperative sector are paying the lowest rates.
The private sector, with 26 factories, topped the list with 43.47 lakh tonnes (34 lakh tonnes) of cane crushed. Factories in the sector achieved a higher at 9.33 per cent (9 per cent) as they produced 39.63 lakh quintals (30 lakh quintals) so far.
One of the three Andhra Sugars units clocked the highest recovery rate of 10.63 per cent (10.03 per cent) in the State, followed by Krishnaveni Sugars with 10.54 per cent
COOPERATIVE SECTOR
The ailing cooperative sector, with nine functional factories, continues to show poor record on recovery rate with a poor average of 8.14 per cent. It registered crushing of 5.28 lakh tonnes (4.48 lakh tonnes) of cane and produced 4.42 lakhs quintals (3.49 lakh quintals) of sugar.
The three joint venture factories fared well by crushing 3.14 lakh tonnes (2.92 lt) of cane and producing 2.88 lakh quintals (2.58 lakh quintals) of sugar so far. Their average recover rate stood at 9.62 per cent as against State average of 9.03 per cent