FACTORS AFFECTING SUGAR RECOVERY OF BANGLADESH SUGAR INDUSTRY

Abstract

There is a wide variation in sugar recovery per cent between research station and sugar mills of Bangladesh. The sugar mills of Bangladesh obtained around 7.57% of sugar recovery during the 1971-72 to 2005-06 crushing seasons. The industry got higher recovery of 8.40%, and the lowest 6.61% as against higher capacity utilization of 92.79% and 72.70% in the year 1992-93 and 1998- 99 respectively. Growth rate analysis indicates that recovery growth was negative (-0.87) during the period where as growth rate of sugarcane cultivation area, sugarcane production, yield per hectare, sugarcane crushing and sugar production were 1.20, 2.90, 1.60, 2.70 and 2.60% respectively. Mean capacity utilization of all the sugar mills was 77.51 per cent and production was 0.16 million ton during the period and the highest sugar production was 0.27 million ton in the year 1994-95 by using capacity of 139.16 per cent. Break-even analysis showed that average 8.91% recovery was required to make the industry viable during aforementioned time. Low per hectare sugarcane and sugar yield, high processing loss, low capacity utilization, post harvest losses and inefficient management are the main causes for low recovery in Bangladesh. Environmental factors were also responsible for low recovery. Sugar recovery rate can be increased through overall proper management, efficient sugarcane cultivation management and ensuring proper technology transfer and extension services towards the farmers.