Punjab Agriculture Department (PAD) has called upon the sugarcane growers to follow latest production technology to meet the gap between the per acre yield being achieved by the progressive growers and others. Progressive growers are achieving yield of up to 2000 maund per acre while average per acre yield achieved during the year 2012-13 remained 607 maund per acre.
According to the figures, sugarcane was grown in Punjab province on an area of 18.97 million acres during the year 2012-13 and a total production of 43 million tons was achieved. The advisory issued by the PAD on Tuesday to sugarcane growers says that the growers should select those varieties having resistance against diseases and pests and higher per acre yield.
It said for early sowing sugarcane varieties of CPF-243, HSF-240, HSF-242, CP 77-400, CPF-237 while for middle period varieties SPF-245, SPF-234, SPF-213, CPF-246 and CPF-247 should be selected by the growers. PAD recommended that SPF-234 is best for Rajanpur, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan districts, while COJ-84 is late sowing variety. Experts of the Agriculture department advised that the growers should not sow prohibited varieties and select seeds free of all kinds of diseases and pests.
