Geographic Spread of the Sugar Industry
In India sugarcane is grown in two different regions. In northern India, it is grown in the doab and terai region which covers the states of UP, Bihar, Haryana, and Punjab. UP is the largest producer of sugarcane in northern India.
In the southern part of India sugarcane is grown in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh with Maharashtra being the largest producer. The sugar cane produced in the tropical regions of South India tends to have a higher concentration of sugar. This means that even though more sugarcane is grown in Northern India more sugar is produced from the peninsular region. Another reason for this is that it is seen that sugar mills in Maharashtra; which are owned by co-operative societies tend to better managed and have better machinery while the mills in UP are old and often use outdated technology affecting the production of sugar.
Sugarcane is a perishable raw commodity and cannot be transported long distances. This means that mills have to be close to the farms cultivating this crop. While the sugar and sugarcane industry is very significant of late it is facing certain problems.
Sugarcane and Sugar Industry in India
Sugarcane is the second largest cash crop in India after cotton. It is a perishable, heavy raw material that cannot be transported for long distances. It is primarily used to produce sugar. However, the by-products of this process are used in various other industries as well. India is the second largest producer of sugar worldwide and is tipped to soon overtake Brazil, the number one producer. This agro-based industry is important for multiple different reasons.
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