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New variety of sugarcane
KARACHI-A new variety of sugarcane named Thatta-10 has
been giving almost three times more yield and two percent more
sugar.
This was stated by Dr. Haji Khan Keerio, Director General of
the Tropical Agricultural Research Centre of the Pakistan
Agriculture Centre (PARC) Karachi on Febraurary 12, 2002.
He said that the average yield of sugarcane in the country is
about 500 maunds per acre whereas the Thatta-10 gives a
production of up to 1500 maunds an acre provided the
conditions are good and sufficient water is available.
It was pointed out that the percentage of sugar extracted from
this variety is 12 percent which is two percent more as
compared to the other varities of the sugarcane. Dr. Keerio
informed that the Thatta-10 has been sown on an area of about
10,000 acres in Sindh and Balochistan this year.
He said that this will be beneficial for the farmers as well
as the mills. Dr. Keerio further stated that sugar-beet was
previously grown in NWFP but has been tested in Sindh also.
This year sugar-beet has been sown in an area of about 1200
acres in Sindh's areas of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Thatta
and Matli. It was stated that a mini-sugar mill is being set
up in the Matli area.
The mill named Hari Mills has been granted permission to
process sugar-beet for the production of sugar on experimental
basis. A successful experimentation in this respect will also
provide some extra time for the sugar mills to continue their
operations beyond March when the suragecane season comes to an
end.
With sugar-beet the mills' processing can continue in the
months of April, May and June. Dr. Keerio said that if the
experiment with the sowing of sugar- beet in Sindh remains
successful and economically feasible then the big sugar mills
would also bring about amendments in their plants to process
sugar-beet for the production of sugar.
February 16, 2002
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Pakissan.com;
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