Sugarcane

— The Pillar of India’s Commercial Crops

Imagine India’s commercial crops like a royal court. There are many members—cotton, tea, coffee, jute—but the king, in terms of value of production, is Sugarcane.

And this is not a new entry into the royal court. Sugarcane is indigenous to India, meaning it is as rooted in this land as the Ganga or the Himalayas. It belongs to the bamboo family, which is why its long, jointed stems might look like bamboo to a casual observer.

Let’s understand why sugarcane holds such a significant place in Indian agriculture.

🌿 USES OF SUGARCANE

Now when we say sugarcane, most people think of sugar, but that’s just the beginning.

From the thickened juice of sugarcane, we get:

• Sugar (refined and processed),
• Gur (jaggery) – the desi sweetener you’ll find in every village,
• Khandsari – a form of semi-processed sugar.

Now here’s the interesting part:
➡️ Two-thirds of the sugarcane produced in India doesn’t even go to sugar factories. It goes into making jaggery and khandsari, which are part of India’s informal, rural economy.

Sugarcane is not just a crop; it’s an economic ecosystem. Even its by-products have value:

By-product	Use
Molasses	Raw material for alcohol (ethanol), which can even substitute petroleum to some extent.
Bagasse	The fibrous residue. Used to make paper, or as fuel in sugar mills. Paper is better—it saves trees and is more efficient.
Pressmud	Used as compost or soil conditioner—returns some nutrients back to the soil.

So essentially, sugarcane is like a desi cow—nothing goes to waste. Every part has a purpose.

🧪 CONDITIONS FOR GROWTH

Let’s now understand what geographical and climatic conditions sugarcane requires. This is where precision is key.

A. Climate:

Sugarcane is a tropical crop, meaning it loves heat and humidity.

• Temperature: Ideal range is 21°C to 27°C.
• Rainfall: Needs 75–150 cm of rainfall.
• (Too much rain = diluted juice; too little rain = fibrous crop.)

Ideal Conditions for Maturity:

• Sugarcane takes 10–18 months to mature depending on the region.
• The second half of the crop season must have clear skies and temps > 20°C. This helps in thickening of juice—just like simmering syrup.

For Ripening:

• A short, dry, cool winter helps ripen the cane.
• But here’s the catch:
  • Frost kills sugarcane. So in North India, it must be harvested before frost arrives.
  • Loo (hot dry winds of North India) also damages the crop.
  • Therefore, South India is ideal—neither frost nor loo.

👉 This is why Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu are rising stars in sugarcane cultivation.

Areas to Avoid:

• Coastal plains and western slopes of the Western Ghats face gusty monsoon winds, which can damage the tall stalks of sugarcane.

B. Soil:

• Sugarcane is not very picky about soil type. It just needs soil that can retain moisture.
• But here’s a caveat: It depletes soil fertility over time.
  • That’s why crop rotation or organic manuring is important.
• Flat plains or level plateaus are ideal because they make irrigation and transport easier.

C. Labour:

Sugarcane is a labour-intensive crop—from planting to cutting, everything is manual.

So, cheap and abundant labour is necessary. That’s why states like Uttar Pradesh, despite climatic challenges, still dominate production—because of dense rural population.

🌱 SUGAR CROPS: Sugarcane vs. Sugar Beet

Let’s make a quick comparative note.

Feature	Sugarcane	Sugar Beet
Region	Tropical	Temperate
Type	Grass (stalk)	Tuber (root)
Sugar content	High	Lower
Time to mature	Long (10–18 months)	Shorter
Use in India	Predominant	Rare, only experimental

Think of sugar beet as a European cousin of sugarcane. It’s used where the climate is cooler—Russia, France, USA etc.

In India, sugarcane remains the clear winner because of its higher yield, better climatic compatibility, and cultural embeddedness (who hasn’t had Ganne ka Ras on a hot summer day 😊).

🇮🇳 SUGARCANE CROP AREA IN INDIA

Understanding the geographical belts, productivity, and paradoxes

Sugarcane Belts of India: Geography of Distribution

India’s sugarcane cultivation is not uniformly spread. It has formed around three distinct belts, based on climate, soil, and agro-economic conditions.

1. Sutlej-Ganga Plain (Punjab to Bihar)

This is the traditional sugarcane heartland of India.

Features:

• Covers Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand.
• Low yield, despite being the largest producing region.

Why low yield?

• Summer temperatures (30°–35°C): Excessive heat leads to fibrous growth—less sugar content.
• ‘Loo’ winds: These scorching, dry summer winds desiccate the crop.
• Severe cold & frost in winters: Damages the standing crop.
• Short crushing season (only 8 months): In winter, factories remain idle due to cold weather—factories can’t operate when the cane is too cold and dry.

🧠 Note: Even though the climate is sub-optimal, this region still produces over 45% of India’s sugarcane due to:

• Large area under cultivation.
• Established irrigation from perennial rivers like the Ganga and its tributaries.
• Historical shift from indigo to sugarcane after World War I, when synthetic dyes replaced indigo.

2. Black Soil Belt (Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu)

Eastern slopes of the Western Ghats

Features:

• High productivity zone (much higher yield than north).
• No ‘loo’, no frost—both harmful elements are absent.
• Warm winters: So no downtime for factories.
• Year-round crushing season: Factories here work 12 months.
• Black soil retains moisture, ideal for water-intensive crops like sugarcane.

🚩 This region benefits from better sugar recovery (more sugar per tonne of cane), making it more economically efficient than the north.

3. Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Krishna Valley

Features:

• Similar agro-climatic benefits as region (2).
• Maritime winds moderate the climate, preventing temperature extremes.
• This moderation helps maintain higher sugar content in the cane.

📍 These regions are gradually rising in importance due to their high efficiency and expanding irrigation.

🌍 India’s Global Position: Area vs Productivity

• India has the largest area under sugarcane cultivation in the world.
• But in production, India lags behind Brazil, and in productivity, it falls short of Colombia, Peru, Egypt, Indonesia, etc.
  Source: (as of April 2025)

Why?

Here’s the bitter truth—India’s yield per hectare is low due to:

• Small and fragmented landholdings
• Unscientific farming methods
• Uncertain rainfall
• Inefficient irrigation
• Poor-quality seeds
• Untimely or improper fertilizer use

🔬 Ratooning: Innovation from the Sugarcane Research Institute, Coimbatore

This is a smart technique to reduce cultivation cost.

What is ratooning?

When sugarcane is harvested, the roots are left in the field. From these same roots, a new crop sprouts, called a ratoon crop.

Advantages:

• Saves cost of replanting
• Shorter maturity period
• Lower input cost

Drawback:

• Productivity declines with each cycle.
• After 1–2 ratoon crops, soil exhaustion and disease make it commercially unviable.

🎯 Prelims Point: Ratoon = Successive crop grown from previous crop’s root system.

🤔 Why is Sugarcane Cultivation More in the North Despite Better Conditions in the South?

This is one of those geographical paradoxes UPSC loves to ask. Let’s understand:

1. Historical Momentum:

• North India previously grew indigo.
• With aniline dyes from Europe post-WWI, indigo lost demand.
• Farmers shifted to sugarcane, and infrastructure (mills, transport, irrigation) developed around it.

2. Irrigation Facilities:

• The north has perennial rivers—Ganga, Yamuna, etc.
• South India had non-perennial rivers and less developed irrigation historically.

3. Land Use Competition:

• In the south, cash crops like cotton, coconut, tobacco, groundnut compete for land.
• In the north, sugarcane had less competition, so expanded.

4. Spatial Compactness:

• In north India, especially UP and Bihar, cane is grown close to mills, reducing transport losses and spoilage.
• In the south, cane is more dispersed, limiting efficiency.

🏭 Trend: Growing Sugar Mills in Southern States?

Yes, there is a growing trend. Here’s why:

✅ Climate Advantage: No frost or loo → uninterrupted growth
✅ Irrigation Expansion: Dams, canals, micro-irrigation improved water supply
✅ Year-round Crushing: More sugar per tonne, better returns
✅ Better Sugar Recovery: Less wastage, higher profit margins
✅ Coastal Moderation: Ensures higher sugar content in the cane

Thus, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu are emerging as sugar hubs, despite UP remaining the largest producer by area.

📊 Production Snapshot (2022–23)

Uttar Pradesh (45.71%) > Maharashtra (25.27%) > Karnatka (12.10%) > Tamil Nadu (3.60%)

✅ Conclusion

Sugarcane remains a high-value, multi-purpose commercial crop with strong market demand, especially in tropical regions. It is often the first choice of farmers where geographical conditions are favourable.

However, it is also a resource-intensive crop—demanding high water and soil nutrients. Thus, sustainability through improved irrigation, ratooning, and mechanization is crucial.

While Uttar Pradesh leads in area, Maharashtra and southern states excel in productivity due to better agro-climatic conditions and year-round crushing. Going forward, efficiency and innovation will determine the long-term viability of India’s sugar economy.