Amritsar, October 4 Rana Sugars Limited in Buttar Seviyan village, 40 km from Amritsar, will become the first sugar mill in Punjab to commercially produce sugar from sugar beet, a root plant, in addition to sugarcane. The mill is supplying seeds sugar beet to the farmers free of cost to be sown in over 12,000 acres of land.
Managing Director of the concern, Rana Inder Partap Singh, says that he has reached an understanding with farmers at Beas, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala and Mehta village to raise the crop.
He says the concern had imported seed worth over Rs 4.25 crore from San Vander Ham, a Brussels-based seed developing company, whose experts would monitor the cultivation of the crop here. He says farmers will be paid Rs 140 per quintal for sugar beet, which was grown in five months.
"Our endeavour is to increase the operation period of the sugar mill from four months to six months in a year," says Rana. He feels the crop will be the best alternative to the wheat crop. Both grow in the winter months.
He says while sugarcane requires over a year to grow, this crop blooms in less than a year.
The Director (Research), Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, Dr SS Gosal, says the university had conducted research on sugar beet from 1970 to 1988 and 2002 and 2004.
He says sugarcane is produced in hot and humid conditions while sugar beet is suitable for cold conditions. He says 40 per cent of the sugar produced in the world is sourced from sugar beet.
" Punjab's weather is suitable for the crop and is a good replacement for wheat. The suitable period for sowing the seeds is from mid-October to November. The crop is harvested in the month of April and May. An acre of land may yield a minimum 250 quintals - 400 quintals of sugar beet," he says.
He says since the commercial production of the crop is set to start, the PAU will now initiate research in plant health management, weed management, identification of new varities and disease control. He accepts that seed development will be a challenge with private concerns selling a "one-time use" seeds.
Rana Veer Pratap, mill director, says apart from free seeds, his concern will provide 50 per cent subsidy on pesticides, insecticides to the farmers. Plantation and harvesting will be done by machines specially designed for the purpose by the mill.
The machinery to produce sugar and other byproducts has been imported and developed at a cost of Rs 40 crore, he says, adding that neighbouring Pakistan has been producing sugar from sugar beet for the past nearly seven years.
Leaves of sugar beet make ideal fodder, he maintains.
Sweet facts