Journal of Crop Science Journal of Crop Science ISSN: 0976-8920 & E-ISSN: 0976-8939, Vol. 2, Issue 2, 2011, PP-45-50 Available online at http://www.bioinfo.in/contents.php?id=65 PATTERN OF SUGARCANE CONCENTRATION IN SATARA DISTRICT OF MAHARASHTRA (INDIA) BARAKADE A.J.1, KADAM A.S.2 and SULE B.M. 1 1Department of Geography, Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil Mahavidyalaya, Pandharpur, MS. India. 2Department of School Science, Geography, Swami Ramanand Teerth University Nanded, India. *Corresponding Author: Email- [email protected], Mob: 9403199481 Received: November 06, 2011; Accepted: December 12, 2011 Abstract- In India, sugarcane is an important commercial crop. The sugarcane plant is a tropical plant and has been known in India from earliest times. Its reference is found in Atharva Vedda, before 3000 to 7000 years ago. India is the fourth major sugar producing country in the world, the first being Russia, Brazil and Cuba. Indian sugar industry has lion’s share in accelerating industrialization process and bringing socio-economic changes in under developed rural areas. About 4.5 crore farmers are engaged in sugarcane cultivation in India. Sugar factory (Co-operative, private and public) has been instrumental in initiating a number of entrepreneurial activities in rural India. In Maharashtra 10, 39,000 hectares area under sugarcane cultivation especially in western Maharashtra and 91 lakh million tonnes sugar production (2010-11). In Satara district 70,538 hectares area under sugarcane cultivation and 10 sugar factories are run (2010-11). The first sugar factory was established in 1957-58 namely Shriram Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd. Phaltan. Today 10 sugar factories crushed in Satara district. The increase in sugar cultivated area and growth of sugar industry has manifold effects on socio-economic conditions in the district. This attempt has been made to 2000-01 to 2009-10 area under sugarcane cultivation in Satara district. Key Words- Cultivation, Pattern, Factory, Area, Concentration, Index Introduction decline in productivity in recent decades is a cause of In India, sugarcane is an important commercial crop. It is great concern. Sugarcane is also the second most widely grown is different parts of the country. At present important cash crop covering less than three per cent of India is the fourth major sugar producing country in the the total cropped area of the State, but it utilizes more world, the first being Russia, Brazil and Cuba. Sugar than 60 per cent of the total water available for irrigation industry occupies an important place among organized in the State. In Maharashtra there are 124 sugar industries in India. Sugar industry one of the major agro- factories in co-operative sector and 46 sugar factories based industrial in India has been instrumental in are in private sector. No other agro based industry can resource mobilization, employment generation and compete with it having great impact on the economic creating social infrastructure in rural areas. At present conditions of the farmers, who constitute the bulk of there are 693 registered sugar factories, which are share holders of the factories, which are mostly in co- mostly in co-operative sector; sugar industries can operative sector; therefore sugar industries can provide provide number of growth centers in rural India. In India number of growth centers in rural Maharashtra. In Satara highest area under sugarcane has brought socio- district has area under sugarcane cultivation 70538 economic changes in rural India by way of facilitating hectares and 10 sugar factories during the year 2009-10. entrepreneurial activities such as dairies, poultries, fruits In Satara district Karad, Satara, Phaltan and Koregaon and vegetables processing and providing educational, tahsils leading of sugarcane producers. health and credit facilities. The major sugarcane production is Maharashtra, Uttar Study Area Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya The Satara district is situated in west part in Maharashtra Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Assam and Gujarat. State. This district consists eleven tahsils covering 1739 Maharashtra is the second largest sugarcane growing villages. The total area extend is of 10,480 sq. km. State in the country. It contributed 13.53 per cent hectare extending from 170 5’ to 180 11’ north latitudes and 730 to total area and 15.06 per cent to total production of 33’ to 740 54’ east longitudes. The climate ranges from sugarcane in the country. The potential of Maharashtra the rainiest in the Mahabaleshwar region which has an has been shown by the steady growth in area and average annual rainfall of over 6000 mm. to the driest in production over the years. However, the unceasing 45 Bioinfo Publications Pattern of sugarcane concentration in Satara district of Maharashtra (India) Man, Phaltan, Khandala and Khatav tahsils where the found in central part of the district. In Phaltan and average annual rainfall is about 500 mm. (Fig. 1). Khandala tahsils the soil has low, fertility and is rocky except for the area along the Nira River and its Objectives tributaries. Khatav and Man, some part of Khandala The present study was undertaken with the following tahsil low rainfall, rocky soil in summer season high objectives temperature, shortage of water, so sugarcane cultivation 1. To study the growth of area of sugarcane is low. cultivation. In the western part of the Satara district not suitable 2. To identify areas of tahsil-wise sugarcane sugarcane cultivation crop. Hilly areas, laterite soil, concentration on the basis of Bhatia’s method. typically clayey in nature and sugarcane cultivation are Data Base and Methodology unflavored region. The study was conducted in Satara district of Concentration of sugarcane cultivation Maharashtra. The present study is based on secondary The pattern of crop concentration reveals the variation in data collected District Statistical Office, Department of the intensity of crop in the given region at a point of time Agriculture Satara District. Season and Crop Reports (Jadhav, 1984). The crop concentration patterns are published by the Department of Agriculture (1999-00 to mainly to differentiate the areas of high and low density 2009-10). Socio-economic Review of Satara District, of individual crop in the different parts of the region. District Census Hand Book, Gazetteer Agricultural Location Quotient measures the degree to which a Epitomes. Agricultural Statistical information specific region contains more or less than its briefly Maharashtra State etc. were also scanned for setting indicating a ratio’s (Location Quotient = X / Y), (Gupta relevant information. Simple Statistical method has used and Hiran, 1973, Das, 1990). In order to determine the to compute individual crop area concentration by tahsil-wise concentration of crops Bhatia’s method is Bhatia’s (1965) method is used for the calculation of the used for the calculation of the Location Quotient. The Location Quotient. following formula is used to work out the concentration of Sugarcane cultivation in Satara District sugarcane cultivation in Satara district. Satara district is considered as the core district in western Maharashtra for cultivation of sugarcane. In Satara district is leading in sugarcane production as it Formula covers 8.94 per cent of total hectares in the State. In the Where, Satara district of Karad, Satara, Koregaon and Phaltan LQi = Location Quotient of sugarcane cultivation in tahsils is more and hectares area under sugarcane the district. cultivation is also more. Satara district is one of the major Xij = Area under sugarcane in the tahsil. sugarcane cultivation in Maharashtra (Table1). Xj = Total cropped in the tahsil. Source: Season and Crop Report Satara District Yi = Total tahsil area under sugarcane cultivation Above Table No. 1 and Fig No 1 and 2 shows that the in the district. Karad, Satara, Koregaon and Phaltan tahsils are the Y = Total cropped area of the district. major leading sugarcane producers in the district. Six Bhatia’s Location Quotient is present in the form of tahsils viz., Jaoli, Patan, Khandala, Khatav and Man concentration Index Table 2. If the Index is more that the tahsils contributed only 21 per cent area under concentration of particular crop in the unit area (Tahsil) is sugarcane cultivation. Karad tahsil is the highest area high and vise-versa. By using the equation the tahsil- (37.87%) under sugarcane cultivation during the year wise Index value are calculated at district level. 1999 to 2009. Phaltan (16%), Koregaon (14.85%), In Satara district during 2000-01 Karad tahsil shows the Satara (11.17%) covered the area these four tahsils 79 very high concentration area under sugarcane per cent area under sugarcane cultivation in the district. cultivation. In Satara district it is mainly raised in the Agriculture is the main land use in the district more than areas of Koyana dam, Dhom dam, Urmodi dam and 75 per cent of the total area being used for agricultural Kanher dam. Water use in sugarcane crop to be activities. The monsoon period starts in the month of optimized to maximize production, Technological June with the maximum precipitation in July and August. innovations like sprinkler and drip irrigation high yielding Krishna is the main river in the district; main tributary is tonnage sugarcane (Fig.4). The development of high Koyana, which also originates near Mahabaleshwar, yielding varieties of sugarcane, increased inputs of flows in a north-south direction till chemicals fertilizers and better this perennial crop Helwak built up Shivaji Sagar Dam on Koyana river. management. Phaltan, Koregaon and Satara tahsils Bhima basin covering 30 per cent of the district in the high sugarcane concentration. Wai tahsil medium, Patan north eastern part and the Krishna basin over the and Khandala tahsil is low concentration. The eastern remaining part. In the Satara district, Koyana dam on the part of the Satara district is Man and Khatav tahsils has Krishna river, Veer dam on the Nira river and Kanher drought prone area, scarcity of water supply, erratic dam on the Krishna river.