Tamil Nadu aims to raise sugarcane output to 500 LT in 2013-14

Chennai, Apr 12. The Tamil Nadu government is planning to increase the production of sugarcane to 500 lakh tonnes (LT), with the cane drawal rate between 60 per cent and 65 per cent for 2013-14. The cane drawal (amount of cane that goes for crushing in sugar mills out of the total cane production) rate for 2012-13 was expected between 50 per cent and 55 per cent, a policy note of state Agriculture Department for 2013-14 said. The sugarcane production was 422.20 LT from 3.95 lakh hectares in the state during 2012-13, it said. Sugarcane is being cultivated in around 3.50 lakh hectares, which is five per cent of the total cultivable area of the state. Tamil Nadu is the fourth largest sugar producer in the country, which forms nine per cent of the country's total production of the sweetener.