Bijnor: The horticulture department is promoting banana cultivation in the region claiming that the soil and weather conditions here are fit for growing the fruit. Stating that the profit in banana production is double as compared to cane, the department is providing subsidy of Rs 30,000 per hectare to farmers willing to take up banana cultivation.As Uttar Pradesh expects bumper production in the forthcoming cane season owing to increased cultivation area, sugar mills have all the reason to frown as more production means sugar price fall in the market, making it difficult for mills to pay dues to farmers for their produce.Interestingly, the cane department had sent a request to all sugarcane growers not to increase cultivation area, but farmers have not followed it. The survey revealed that cultivation area has jumped in entire state from the earlier 22.99 lakh hectare to around 25 lakh ha this year – which may be estimated to give a produce of 130 lakh tonnes of sugar, an increase from last year’s 120 lakh tonnes. It was 88.7 lakh tonnes in 2016-17.The increased sugarcane cultivation area has sent a shockwave through sugar mills. According to officials, last year also area had increased from 20.54 lakh hectare to 22.99 lakh and because of this sugar market had nosedived and mills have failed to clear sugarcane dues in the state.However, the government had taken a historical step to control the sugar market. With sugar prices tumbling, central government set a quota for sugar to be sold by all mills and minimum price of sugar was fixed at Rs 2,900 per quintal. For UP, central government allotted a quota of around 6 lakh tonnes in a month. This method has controlled the falling prices of sugar but sugar mills have failed to pay the dues. Mills in the state owe over Rs 9,500 crore to farmers.In such situations, the state govt now is giving suggestion to farmers to grow other crops also. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath, few days ago, had said that sugarcane is causing diabetes here. He indicated that farmers could reduce sugarcane cultivation area. Besides, district administration is also making similar appeals to farmers here.District horticulture officer Narpal Malik said, “The climate of West UP is conducive to banana crop. Government is providing a subsidy of Rs 30,738 per hectare. Over 40 hectares of banana have been planted here in the district and other farmers also are adopting the crop. Some farmers had grown banana crop in Bijnor and made a profit.”Malik added, “Around 260 plants are grown on a bigha of agriculture land, which give Rs 50,000 per bigha.In contrast, sugarcane gives Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 per bigha. Banana crop is easy to grow and needs less labourers. It can be harvested twice in two years. First crop comes after 14 months of sowing the crop while second crop is harvested within 10 months.”A farmer, Rajendra Singh of Jafarpur said, “I have grown banana, which grows fast and has less diseases compared to sugarcane. It can become a substitute for sugarcane if government provides a market for it as it does for sugarcane.”

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