Mechanization of Sugarcane Cultivation in India

Abstract

Sugarcane is the most important agro-industrial crop next to cotton, which is being cultivated in around 4.50 million hectares area in India. The country has produced more than 355 million tonnes of cane at a national average of 70 tonnes per hectare. In the present context of globalisation, ways and means have to be further evolved to produce more sugar per unit area, time and input in order to keep pace with the population growth while preserving the soil and water resources. The challenges in the millennium can be met effectively by adopting the appropriate mechanical alternatives not only for increasing the productivity but inculcating cost efficiency in sugarcane production system. The farm mechanisation in the context of sugarcane cultivation aims at introducing timeliness of operation, reducing human drudgery and improving overall production efficiency.