Sugarcane Production Scenario in India with Particular Reference to Punjab

Abstract

The present study, conducted to examine the over time changes in area, production and productivity of sugarcane in India with particular reference to Punjab, has been based on secondary data. The secondary data pertaining to the area, production and productivity of sugarcane for the study period 1980–81 to 2013–14 were culled from various published sources. The study highlighted that area as well as production of sugarcane in India nearly doubled during the study period. The production profile of sugarcane in major sugarcane producing states of India revealed that Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are the major sugarcane producing states of India. In 2013–14, contribution of Punjab to sugarcane production of India has been reported as 1.8 per cent. The productivity of sugarcane in Punjab is less than that of India. The study further highlighted the declining compound annual growth rate for sugarcane area, production and productivity for India as well as Punjab during the later part (2000–01 to 2013–14) of the study period. Notwithstanding, the declining growth rates of area under sugarcane, the proportion of net sown area allocated to sugarcane cultivation has increased from what it was in the beginning of the study period, both in the case of India and Punjab. Decomposition analysis illustrated the role of increasing the sugarcane acreage in a bid to increase the sugarcane production in the country at large and Punjab in particular.