Sugar Production Ratio Declines Amid Weather Challenges

Sugar production from sugarcane has declined this year compared to the previous fiscal year, raising concerns among industry stakeholders and farmers.

According to Surendra Shukla, General Manager of Everest Sugar Industry in Gaushala Municipality-1, the current fiscal year has yielded 8.72 kg of sugar per quintal of sugarcane, a decrease from last year’s 9.11 kg per quintal.

The industry had set a target of crushing 3.5 million quintals of sugarcane and producing 315,000 quintals of sugar, but a shortage of sugarcane has hampered production. So far, 3.1 million quintals have been crushed, resulting in 270,588 quintals of sugar. Last year, 2.9 million quintals of sugarcane were processed, producing 264,591 quintals of sugar.

Shukla stated that investigations are underway to determine the reason for the decline in sugar production efficiency. Meanwhile, farmers attribute the drop to unfavorable weather conditions, particularly insufficient rainfall during the winter and the previous monsoon season.

Mahendra Mahato, a sugarcane farmer from Pashupatinagar, Bardibas Municipality-9, emphasized that erratic weather patterns have impacted crop yield and sugar extraction efficiency.

With sugarcane shortages persisting, the industry is unlikely to meet its initial production target, further raising concerns about supply chain disruptions in the sector.