Fundamental Analysis of Sugar Industry
Preface
Indian sugar industry, second largest agro-based processing industry after the cotton textiles industry in country, has a lion's share in accelerating industrialization process and bringing socio-economic changes in under developed rural areas. Sugar industry covers around 7.5% of total rural population and provides employment to 5 lakh rural people. About 4.5 crore farmers are engaged in sugarcane cultivation in India. Sugar mills (cooperative, private, and public) have been instrumental in initiating a number of entrepreneurial activities in rural India. Present paper is an attempt as to review progress of sugar industry in India, understand its problems and challenges in context of ongoing liberalization process. Indian sugar industry can be a global leader provided it comes out of the vicious cycle of shortage and surplus of sugarcane, lower sugarcane yield, lower sugar recovery, ever increasing production costs and mounting losses. It needs quality management at all levels of activity to enhance productivity and production. Attention is required on cost minimization and undertaking by product processing activities.
India is the second largest producer of sugar in world, after Brazil. Sugar industry occupies an important place among organised industries in India. Sugar industry, one of the major agro-based industrial in India, has been instrumental in resource mobilization, employment generation, income generation and creating social infrastructure in rural areas. Indeed, sugar industry has facilitated and accelerated pace of rural industrialization.
Most of the sugarcane produced in India is a 10-12 month crop planted during January to March. In northern Maharashtra and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, there is also an 18 to 20 month crop. In most areas, the 12-month crop is followed by just one ratoon crop that is, a new crop grown from the stubble of the harvested crop. At present, sugarcane is being cultivated throughout the country except
Indian sugar industry, second largest agro-based processing industry after the cotton textiles industry in country, has a lion's share in accelerating industrialization process and bringing socio-economic changes in under developed rural areas. Sugar industry covers around 7.5% of total rural population and provides employment to 5 lakh rural people. About 4.5 crore farmers are engaged in sugarcane cultivation in India. Sugar mills (cooperative, private, and public) have been instrumental in initiating a number of entrepreneurial activities in rural India. Present paper is an attempt as to review progress of sugar industry in India, understand its problems and challenges in context of ongoing liberalization process. Indian sugar industry can be a global leader provided it comes out of the vicious cycle of shortage and surplus of sugarcane, lower sugarcane yield, lower sugar recovery, ever increasing production costs and mounting losses. It needs quality management at all levels of activity to enhance productivity and production. Attention is required on cost minimization and undertaking by product processing activities.
India is the second largest producer of sugar in world, after Brazil. Sugar industry occupies an important place among organised industries in India. Sugar industry, one of the major agro-based industrial in India, has been instrumental in resource mobilization, employment generation, income generation and creating social infrastructure in rural areas. Indeed, sugar industry has facilitated and accelerated pace of rural industrialization.
Most of the sugarcane produced in India is a 10-12 month crop planted during January to March. In northern Maharashtra and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, there is also an 18 to 20 month crop. In most areas, the 12-month crop is followed by just one ratoon crop that is, a new crop grown from the stubble of the harvested crop. At present, sugarcane is being cultivated throughout the country except