960406

Govt considering

appointments to revamp

sugar research stations

RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Government is considering to appoint a board of governors for sugar industry comprising representatives of sugar mills, sugarcane growers and government to revamp sugar research stations in the country and oversee their performance, sources in the Agriculture and Food Ministry said.

The proposal was made by the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) in a letter written to the Prime Minister and Ministry of Food and Agriculture some time back.

The PSMA had also requested for the constitution of permanent high-powered task force to regulatly monitor the performance of the existing research facilities in sugar industry to increase yield per acre and recovery content through high yielding seeds and farm inputs.

The sugar industry is of the opinion that the solution of sugar shortage and price hike does not lie in the increasing the sugarcane prices or sugar prices every year because these short-term measures would never solve the problems. The real solution will be through increasing yield of sugarcane and sugar content.

It may be mentioned that the Pakistan has one of the lowest recovery percentage and per acre yield. In 1994-95, the sugarcane yield per acre in Pakistan was 46.7 tons and average recovery of 9.3 percent as against the world average of 61.8 tons yield per acre and 10.4 percent average recovery.

In India per acre yield in 94-95 was 69.1 tons (above the world average) and recovery of 10.6 percent.

Following is a comparative statement of Pakistan's sugar production viz-a-viz other sugarcane producing countries.

Yield of sugarcane per hectare in main sugarcane producing countries:

Country Year Sugarcane Av. Recovery

Yield/Ha

Argentina 1994-95 46.7 10.5

1995-96 54.2 11.1

Australia 1994-95 95.8 14.6

1995-96 92.4 14.4

Brazil 1994-95 62.9 11.3

1995-96 62.8 11.5

China 1994-95 57.6 8.3

1995-96 59.5 7.9

Colombia 1994-95 132.0 12.11

1995-96 135.7 11.8

Cuba 1994-95 36.4 8.3

1995-96 38.2 9.5

Egypt 1994-95 89.7 10.7

1995-96 91.2 10.2

Guatemala 1994-95 80.0 10.6

1995-96 79.0 10.5

India 1994-95 69.1 10.6

1995-96 64.9 10.4

Indonesia 1994-95 75.4 8.0

1995-96 75.2 7.8

Mexico 1994-95 78.4 11.4

1995-96 72.5 11.4

Pakistan 1994-95 46.7 9.3

1995-96 47.1 9.4

Philippines 1994-95 47.9 9.2

1995-96 54.5 8.6

South Africa 1994-95 58.3 11.3

1994-96 59.1 11.0

Thailand 1994-95 53.7 10.8

1995-96 55.1 10.6

Hawaii 1994-95 200.5 11.9

1995-96 188.8 12.3

U.S. Mainland 1994-95 66.2 12.0

1995-96 67.2 11.6

World Av. 1994-95 61.8 10.4

1995-96 61.3 10.3