Uttar Pradesh farmers earn additional Rs 5568 crore in 2016-17: Vipin Kumar Dwivedi

PUNE: Uttar Pradesh sugarcane farmers earned an additional Rs 5,568 crore in 2016-17 thanks to rapid adoption of a new sugarcane variety, which increased the average yield by 8.7% to 723.76 quintal per hectare.

"With rise in per hectare productivity, not only sugarcane crushing had increased by 1825 lakh quintal relative to last year but also income of sugarcane farmers of the state has increased by Rs 5568.32 crore," said Vipin Kumar Dwivedi, cane commissioner, Uttar Pradesh.

"In this year, state has produced 87.50 lakh tonne of sugar, which is highest in the country for the first time," said Dwivedi.

Shamli district stood first in terms of average yield of 843.40 quintal per hectare.

Meerut and Muzaffarnagar remain on second and third position with average yields of 832.28 quintal per hectare and 828.56 quintal per hectare respectively.

This year growth in average yield had been registered both in case of Plant and Pedi sugarcane. Compared to last year, growth in plants average yield was registered as 62.64 quintal per hectare and in Pedi, 53.16 quintal per hectare.

Hapur district average yield was 785.64 quintal per hectare, which was 109.08 quintal per hectare more than its last year's average yield of 676.56 quintal per hectare. Hence maximum growth in average yield was recorded in Hapur district.