NAYAGARH: The district, once considered as sugar bowl of the State, has witnessed a drastic downfall of sugarcane cultivation. Over the years, the cultivation of the water-guzzling crop has come down from 7,000 hectares (ha) to less than 2,000 ha. It is now on the verge of extinction.
After closure of the sugar mill, Nayagarh Sugar Complex, in 2014, the farmers of the district have almost stopped the cultivation of sugarcane and switched over to other cash crops. Sources said in order to boost sugarcane cultivation, a sugar factory was established at Panipoila here when J B Patnaik was the CM in 1987.
Hundreds of farmers were registered as shareholders and also benefited. As the Cooperation department failed to run it profitably, Nayagarh Sugar Complex was sold for a measly Rs 5.22 crore to a private party in 2004.
After running successfully for a few years, the mill faced labour problems and the company officials were forced to shut it down in 2014. A farmer leader said now cane is being cultivated only in Sajanapada, Champatipur and Butadi under Nayagarh block and Bodasha and Anlamada in Khandapada block. Farmers in Kantabania village, who were making a fast buck from sugarcane crop, have migrated to other States for their livelihood, he added.
Sources said the climate and soil of Nayagarh being conducive to sugarcane crop, farmers used to cultivate it in large tracts of land and prepare jaggery from it in traditional method. Traders from different parts of the State and outside flocked to Nayagarh to take truckloads of ‘gur’ and molasses in earthen pots. Sugarcane in Nayagarh has more sucrose (sweetness) percentage than those from Uttar Pradesh, experts say.