Climate Change Poses Threat To Sugarcane Crop

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Jan, 2019 ) ::Climate change is affecting production of sugarcane and there is dire need to develop such varieties which could have resistant against the climate change.

Professor Dr Aaleem Ahmed Khan, a teacher at Environmental Science Department, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan told APP here on Sunday that climate change posed a serious threat to sugarcane crop.

He stated that the farmers were not aware of impact of the climate changes and they must be educated in this regard.

He suggested farmers not to feed sugarcane crop duringextreme summer or winter season as the crop remained under stress and could not avail maximum benefits of fertilizers. When temperature is between 15 degree centigrade to 30 degree centigrade, the farmers should feed fertilizers to crop for bumper production and full of maximum sugar content. The sugarcane crop improved its height one inch on each day, informed Dr Aaleem.

He also proposed farmers not to throw granules directly in sugarcane crop but to mix it in irrigation water. The mixing of granules in irrigation water would be more beneficial. The direct throwing of granules in sugarcane field hurt wildlife as the birds pick the poisonous chemical and died.

Dr Aaleem observed that government should spent amounts on capacity building of sugarcane scientists and arrange maximum foreign tours for exchange of expertise with scientists of other countries.

In Pakistan, usually, our scientists import sugarcane seed named as "fuzz" and then this fuzz undergo trials at different locations in the country. He proposed that sugarcane research institutes should be improved on modern lines for preparation of climatic change resistant varieties otherwise country's sugarcane farmers and industry would suffer in future.

President Kissan Ittehad (Khanewal) Ramzan Jheed informed APP that the sugarcane farmers were already frustrated due to shortage of production this year. He remarked that the farmers were not taking interest in cultivation of sugarcane which also resulted into decrease in cultivation area.

He stated that government should take steps to ensure reasonable and timely return of payment to farmers against their produce from sugar mills owners otherwise there would be crisis of sugar in the country.

He also suggested improvement of research institute for preparation of high yielding and less water consumption varieties to address upcoming challenges to sugarcane crop. He also suggested proper monitoring of scales of sugar-mills so that no one could exploit innocent farmers by allegedly decreasing weights of the sugarcane trolley.