SUGARCANE is one of the most important cash crops of Pakistan, in general, and that of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in particular. It is grown on a huge area of about one million hectares. Linked with it is a viable sugar industry, which is the second largest industry of Pakistan after the textile industry.

There are a number of sugar mills in the country, producing refined sugar mainly from sugarcane. Also, some portion of the crop is used for the production of molasses (‘gur’), especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

It will be pertinent to mention that sugar beet cultivation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was tried in the 1960s which proved successful.

The sugar mills operating in the province added plants to their factories for the manufacture of sugar from sugar beet.

The sugar beet cultivation in the province not only helped in more sugar production for the country, but also in generating income for the growers in the province.

According to media reports, a fact-finding mission on sugar beet cultivation by SMEDA had revealed that the country will not be able to produce sufficient amount of sugar from sugarcane in the coming years.

It had also reported that sugar beet can produce almost two times higher sugar yield per hectare with less water and other input resources in a short period of four to six months as compared to sugarcane that needs a long growth period.

High period and limited crop inputs such as fertilisers, insecticides and irrigation water, low crop price and delayed payments by sugar millers are some of the impediments in expansion of area under sugarcane cultivation in the country.

In view of climate change affecting sugarcane production, sugar beet can be an alternative crop supplementary to sugarcane to increase sugar production in the country.

Hence there is a strong need to devise a policy, both at the federal and the provincial level, to promote sugar beet as a supplement to sugarcane for sugar production in the country.

As stated earlier, sugar beet is being cultivated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the last four to five decades with considerable success. However, sugar millers should play a greater role to help growers in sugar-beet cultivation.

MAIMUNA RAZA Karachi