Importance of the Sugar Industry
- The sugar produced in India is more than our domestic demand and is exported thereby contributing to our forex reserves and helping in growing our GDP.
- This industry is responsible for directly employing nearly 5 crores of farmers and providing indirect employment to many more.
- Sugar is not the only product created from processing sugar cane. The other by-products of this process are molasses and bagasse.
These are used input for biofuel which is a cleaner and better option at a time when the world is facing climate change due to high consumption of fuel among other reasons. - Molasses is also used as cattle feed.
- Bagasse can also be used as raw material for the paper industry.
Sugarcane and Sugar Industry in India
Sugarcane is the second largest cash crop in India after cotton. It is a perishable, heavy raw material that cannot be transported for long distances. It is primarily used to produce sugar. However, the by-products of this process are used in various other industries as well. India is the second largest producer of sugar worldwide and is tipped to soon overtake Brazil, the number one producer. This agro-based industry is important for multiple different reasons.