The Ministry of Sugar Industry is expecting a high number of cane being harvested by mechanical harvesters this crushing season.
This after mechanical harvesting groups acquired 50 mechanical harvesters this year.
The Ministry of Sugar Industry director Sanjay Kumar said this would only result in a high number of sugar production from farming groups that have turned to the machines to harvest their crops.
“In 2020, 89 harvesters were used to harvest approximately 598,938 tonnes of cane which is 35 per cent of the total sugar cane produced in 2019 that had a total of 1,729,171 tonnes of cane harvested,” he said.
“Out of the harvester operations in 2020, 52 harvesters were from the Western Division and 37 were from the Northern Division.
“In the 2021 harvesting season, a total of 50 government funded harvesters will be in operation.
“I can safely say that for the 2021 we will have more sugar harvesting numbers from our co-operatives and they will be able to help us increase our overall sugar production.”
