Economic Assessment of Sugarcane Production and Its Marketing Constraints in Sindh, Pakistan

Abstract

Sugarcane is an important cash crop of Pakistan. It ranks at the 5th position in its acreage and production and almost 15th position in sugar production in the world. Sugarcane is mainly grown for manufacturing sugar and other sweeteners (Shakar and Gur) and its by-products are used in chipboard and paper industries. It is an important source of income and employment for the farming community. The research was carried out with the objectives to investigate the average per hectare cost of production, sugarcane yield, net-return; input output ratio and cost benefit ratio, market issues and production practice constraints by the sugarcane growers in study area. Primary data with convenient sampling method was used in this study.  A sample of 60 sugarcane growers was selected by random sampling technique. The required information and data were collected on pre-tested questionnaire through personal interviews and observations. The results show that sugarcane grower faces economic, technical and social constraints.

Keywords: Sugarcane, Production and marketing, average per hectare cost, sugarcane yield