Description

Sugarcane is one the most important cash and industrial crops of Pakistan. It is mostly grown in three provinces of the country namely Sindh, Panjab and North West Frontier Province. In NWFP, 80-90 % crop is grown in Peshawar valley. Sugarcane is the main source of white sugar in Pakistan. It is the fourth major crop after wheat, cotton and rice. Sugar industry is regarded as the second largest industry after textile and pays around 15 billions rupees in various taxes annually. It contributes 2 % in the country's GDP and its contribution in manufacturing sector is around 12.80 %. The average cane yield in Pakistan ranges from 44-47 tons ha-1, which is much below the competing countries such as India (69 tons ha-1), USA (84 tons ha-1) and Egypt (107 tons ha-1). Lower cane yield is due to numerious factors including insect pests and diseases. The book in hand can furnish baseline information for the sugarcane growers, scientists and mill owners of sugar industries. Therefore, it should be in every library around the country.