Economics of Production of Sugarcane in Orissa

Sugarcane is a major cash crop of India, particularly in UP, Maharastra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujurat, and Foot hils of Uttarakhand. Sugarcane crop has a productivity of 70 tonnes/ha and an area of 4.2 mha. It plays a pivotal role in the national economy. Sugarcane is considered as one of the best cash crops in Orissa. It is grown in all the 30 districts of Orissa. The selected district Dhenkanal occupied 4th position in area (1.49 thousand ha) & in production (99.06 thousand MTs) and 5th position in yield (668.50 qtls/ha) in 2005–06. This study was carried out in Dhenkanal district, Orissa. The study area to find out status and constraints of sugarcane cultivation. A sample of 160 farmers was randomly selected from two blocks i.e. Dhenkanal & Kankadahad. The establishment of a sugar factory in Dhenkanal district has increased the prospect of this crop in the surrounding area. The average size of holding was 2.44 ha. in region-I and 1.89 ha. in region-II. The land was unequally distributed among different categories of farms. The net return over variable costs per hectare were 38220.96 in region-I and 34380.10 in region-II. The average yield of sugarcane per hectare was 73.88 tonnes and 69.88 tonnes in region –I and region-II respectively.