As indicated in the above rankings, it is evident that access to water
is a critical element that influences production of sugarcane in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. In particular, it is evident that many of the areas in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are arid or semi-arid7. This
implies that farmers within the country who intends to engage in
sugarcane farming must seek ways of accessing water for irrigation which
is not always easy. Equally it is evident that even access to inputs and
labor is a challenge in sugarcane production within the region. Farmers
would like to put the bigger part of their farms in the production.
Moreover, even with enhanced production capabilities, it is clear that
farming of sugarcanes will not be sustainable if the prices are too low.
In order for individuals to engage in successful sugar cane farming, it
there is a need for attractive profit margins. It is worth noting that
during the peak periods, labor shortage was a big problem. Farmers rely
on casual laborers to assist in the harvesting process. They thus need
to have adequate cash to ensure that they can harvest the products on
time and deliver top the market.
In sugarcane production, it is evident that the use of the right
production process will dictate the success of sugar production within
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. For instance, a study was carried out on the
intercropping of sugarcane with other products such as Canola in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa3. Intercropping of sugarcane with other
products should be done in the right way if the productivity of firms is
to be sustained. Different forms of canes were assessed on basis of
their length and diameter when intercropped with Canola. Cane length is
a key determinant of success in the production process. It was evident
that sugar cane length was enhanced when sugarcanes were grown without
intercropping. When sugarcane is intercropped with too many other
plants, their length and quality gets affected. This has the potential
of cutting the overall level of returns that farmers realize through
sugarcane farming. It is thus recommended that farmers in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa should set aside separate rows where sugarcanes are grown on
their own as opposed to intercropping. More over availability of water
and fertilizers equally positively enhances the girth and length of
sugarcanes8.
Price of sugar and availability of the market for sugar will be a key
determinant of success in sugarcane farming within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Despite increasing export subsidies for sugar that are aimed at boosting
sugar cane and sugar production in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it is clear that
there is still low level of sugar that is currently being exported. It
is one million metric tons of sugar that are currently exported from
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to other countries. In 2018/2019 year, the stock of
sugar for export in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was projected to be 4.7 million
metric tons. The implication is that there is still high demand for
sugar in the market yet farmers have not been in a position to meet
these demands due to the existence of multiple constrains in the
production process. It is worth noting that challenges are not just in
the production process. There have been significant delays in the
payment of sugar farmers. Such farmers rely on such payments in
preparation for the incoming season. When the payment is delayed, the
farmers are thus not able to prepare their farms on time something that
hinders the attainment of a smooth production cycle.