Dip in mercury takes toll on sugarcane yield

Fatehgarh Sahib : A sudden dip in the temperature and attack of fungicides has decreased sugarcane yield in the district by 40 to 50 quintals per acre. Farmers had brought in more area under sugarcane cultivation after it fetched good prices last year. “Last year, I managed to earn Rs 400 quintals per acre, however, this year the yield has dipped to 350 quintals,” said Harvinder Singh, a farmer from Salana village. The price of the produce has also decreased as compared to last year, farmers rued. Last year farmers sold their produce to the sugar mills at Rs 280 per quintal against government price of Rs 180. This year the rate has gone down to Rs Rs 190 to 200 per quintal, depending on the variety of sugarcane crop. The prices had increased last year due to an increase in the sugar prices. Farmers from the district sold their produce to mills in Morinda in Ropar and Amloh in Fatehgarh Sahib. The cost of harvest also increased from Rs 18 last year to Rs 25 this year as farmer shad to shell out extra money to pay wages to labourers. According to Agriculture Development Officer (ADO) Jaswinder Singh, Due to inclement weather, the yield has decreased between 25 to 50 quintals per acre as compared to last year,” he said, quoting a survey by the agriculture department. “The yield decreased despite adequate use of pesticides and other medicines by the farmers,” he said. A worm, top borer-(fot da garuan), attacked the crop in July resulting in a drastic decrease in the yield, he said. The worm devours the tip of the sugarcane plant resulting in hampered plant growth.