Sugarcane

Sugarcane is a tropical grass, a group of Saccharum species somewhat resembling bamboo, which stores sucrose in its stem. They have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar and measure 2 to 6 meters tall. There may be considered to be two confined wild species of Saccharum and four domesticated species.  One of the domesticated forms is S. officinarum Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is the main sources of sugar in Pakistan and holds a prominent position as a cash and industrial crop. Pakistan ranks at the 5th position in sugarcane production. It is an important source of income and employment for the farming community of the country and provides raw material to nearly 78 Sugar factories. It also serves as a source of raw material for industries like sugar, chip board, paper, barrages, confectionery, chemicals, plastics, paints, synthetics, fibre, insecticides and detergents.
In Pakistan, Sugarcane is the second largest non-grain crop after cotton and occupies more than 4% of the total cropped area, and contributes about 15% of the value added by major crops. Unfortunately, Pakistan’s sugarcane yield average is about 46 tonnes per hectare, well below the world average of above 60 tonnes.