POPULATION GROWTH AND DEMAND AND SUPPLY SITUATION OF SUGAR AND GUR IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

During 1990-91 to 2005-06 average total area under sugarcane was 89 thousand hectares only 1.07 per cent of the total cultivated area where as production was 4167 thousand tons. For the same period average yield of sugarcane was 46.6 t ha-1 and sugar production was 170 thousand tons. Availability of sugar both from internal production and importation during the aforementioned period was 0.49 million tons on an average. Mean domestic production and importation of sugar and jaggery (locally called ‘gur’) were 0.89 million tons met 54% of the country’s demand and deficit was 0.75 million tons (45% of the internal demand). Per capita availability of sugar and gur were 3.92 kg and 3.17 kg as against demand of 10 kg sugar and 3 kg gur respectively during the period. The growth rates of sugarcane cultivation area, sugarcane production, yield, gur production and sugar import during the aforementioned period were -1.11, -1.01, 0.62, - 4.37, 0.18 and 18.82 % respectively. Date palm and palmyra palm plantation may be an alternative source of sugar and gur to meet up the increasing demand of sugar and gur in Bangladesh.