The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-02-01
SUGAR GROWING
IN H|NDUSTAN
More Than a Million Acres of
Land Devoted to the
Crop.


Zuckeimdustrie a valuable article on
the Indian sugar product, from which
the. American Sugar Industry quotes
in part:
The most important districts of
India for the cultivation of sugar cane
are the united provinces of Agra and
oudh. with an average of 40 per cent.
of the total, Bengal with an average
of 1902 per cent. the Punjab with
an average of 1907 per cent, and the
presidency of Madras with an average
of Is per cent.
The seeding is governed by the geo
graphical conditions. occurring, for in
stance, in Bengal in the months of
December to April, in the united prov
fnces in February and March. Har-
vesting takes place in the months of
December to March.
In the united provinces 1916, 10
acres were planted to sugar cane in
19O6-o7. The yield was 43 per cent.
greater than in the year preceding.
The greater part of this product is
consumed by the natives in the form
of .'gur,' only comparatively small
quantity ever reaching the refinery.
SOUR is the result of a double
process, the cane being carried from
the fields through primitive grinding
mills, by which about so per cent. of
the juice is extracted. This is boiled
in single kettles, purified to some ex-
tent, and then allowed to cool, the
product being called ''gur."
In Bengal 42S,500 acres of sugar cane
were sown in 1906, with a product
amounting to $685. cwts, of .'gur."
Besides this yield of ':gur'' from su-
gar cane. Bengal produces about l.
SIS, 679 owts. from the date palm. and
81, 039 cwts, from the Palmyra palm
The sugar juice of the date palm is
chiefly consumed in Jessore..
The Punjab in 1906 had 257,6OO acres
of sugar cane, or 40 per cent. more
than the year preceding, but also %
per cent. less than the average of the
past five years. The yield is reckoned
at 212,765 tons of CUR 139 per cent.
more than 1905.
In Madras $500 acres We're culti-
waited in cane, which was IA per cent,
less than in 1905. The yield in raw
sugar was estimated at 100,4O6 tons.
There is also an active business in
the production of sugar from the
Palmyra palm.
Reducing the total production of the
separate provinces to tons and adding
it together, we obtain 2,11O,415 tons
of raw sugar for the product of the
year 19O6-O7.
All signs indicate that the crop Of
sugar cane in India is capable of very
great increase. The agricultural in
stitute is giving considerable attention
to the subject, and it is hoped that
sugar will replace indigo where that
crop has suffered.
The influence of the climate is. how
ever, very marked and it is difficult
to anticipate future results. Many
countries are theoretically adapted TO
the production of sugar on a large
scale; but for success it is essential
that the agriculturist should find su-
gar a profitable crop. Profit in sugar
depends largely on thoroughness of
and in this respect India
is very backward.
The crudity of native methods of
grinding causes a great loss of sugar
in the cane; the sporadic culture of
cane in small parcels, and the difficult |
ty of transport to the factories and
thence to the markets, and finally the |
lack of foreign demand for Indian
sugar all work against the rapid |
growth of the industry.
Sugar cane cannot be slowly worked |
up like jute and cotton, and it would |
require very elaborate organization |
Of the industry to produce the equiva-
lent of 100000 tons of sugar in three |
Or four months by modern methods. |
The chief aim of the industry should /
De to create great factories with pIen-
" of raw material close at hand This
IAN only be accomplished when the
planting of the cane is brought under
The control of the industrial establish
nents, an undertaking that would re-
Iuire great capital.
At the present time such industrial |
are wholly lacking. Eff
forts are being made to supply the
ack. but it is necessarily a matter of /
very slow growth.
The most important sugar factories Il
low in India are as follows:
BENGAL.
Behea Sugar Cane Mills-Behea, Sha- II
labad owned by Ernest Mylne.
Cossipore Sugar Works-Cossipore II
lear Calcutta.
The India Development Co, Ltd Il
Sugar Estates and Factory)-Ottur, 4
50-51 Lime St,
london.
Kotchandpore Sugar Refnery-Jes-
ore, owned by Nil Chandra Roy.