The sugarcane crop will be cultivated over 1.86 million acres of land in four districts of Faisalabad division. A spokesman for the agriculture department said on Monday that sugarcane was the fourth precious crop of the country after wheat, cotton and rice which played a pivotal role in catering domestic sugar requirements in addition to helping growers in mitigating their financial needs. He said that sugar industry was the largest sector after textile industry whereas Punjab contributed a large share in an overall sugarcane production. He said that 70 % sugarcane produces was used for making sugar whereas remaining production was utilized in other purposes, including seedling for next crops.
He said that March was the best time of Bahariya cultivation of sugarcane crops. The irrigated land in various districts of Punjab produced average 614 maunds per acre production which could be increased up to 625 maunds per acre with the help of the latest technology. If hybrid sugarcane varieties were used, its production could be increased up to 650 maunds per acre, he added. He said that field staff of agriculture department would provide all kinds of guidance and assistance to growers for ensuring sugarcane cultivation over 1.86 million acres of land in districts Faisalabad, Chiniot, Jhang and Toba Tek Singh as the agriculture department had set a target to obtain 44 to 45 million tones sugarcane production from the division this year, he added.
