New Delhi, September 18
The agriculture ministry’s figures on crop estimates are always viewed with certain amount of cautiousness by experts, but now, using the satellite imagery, the sugar industry contradicts the government’s estimates of sugarcane acreage for 2012-13.

With the help of satellite technology, the industry has estimated total cane acreage at 53.54 lakh hectares for the season, about 1.3% higher than the government’s estimate for the same period.

Every year the central government uses data sourced from states to take important policy decisions, including on imports and exports.

Officials however admit that it is not always that authentic advance information on crop conditions is forwarded to them by states.

Forecasting is a scientific device involving systematic use of various parameters to foretell the future but there are times when state agencies forward crop coverage figures based on mere hearsay from village patwaris (accountants).

Now, according to an Indian Sugar Mills Association statement the pan-India satellite-based area survey jointly commissioned by ISMA and the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories has pegged total cane area for the season starting October at 53.54 lakh hectares — 2% more than the 2011-12 crop area and about 1.3% higher than the government estimate of 52.88 lakh hectares for the FY13 crop year in its first advance estimation for the season.