PROSPECT OF ORGANIC SUGARCANE CULTIVATION FOR JUICE AND JAGGERY(GUR):A LIVELIHOOD FOR FARMERS OF INDIAN SUNDARBAN DELTA

The Indian Sundarbans Delta (ISD) is a part of the delta of the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) basin and shared between Bangladesh (~60 %) and India (~40 %). The ISD spread over about 9630 square kilometer between 21?30′ to 22? 40′ N, 88? 05′ to 89? 55′ E. The ISD covers 6 administrative blocks of the North 24 Parganas district (Haroa, Hansbad, Hingalganj, Minakhan, Sandeshkhali-I, Sandeshkhali-II) and 13 blocks in South 24 Parganas (Basanti, Canning-I, Canning-II, Gosaba, Joynagar-I, Joynagar-II, Kakdwip, Kultali, Mathurapur-I, Mathurapur-II, Namkhana, Patharpatima, Sagar) of West Bengal. The area experiences a subtropical monsoonal climate with an annual rainfall of 1,600?1,800 mm. Sugarcane (Saccharum sp. hybrid complex) is a vegetatively propagated cash crop in the world as well as in India and the juice extracted from sugarcane is used for making white sugar, brown sugar(Khandsari) and jaggery(gur). Sugarcane has an area of 17 thousand hectare with average yield of 76.1 MT per hectare and total production of 12.94 lakh MT during 2017-18 in West Bengal. Sugarcane can also be eaten as is or consumed in the form of juice, which has huge demand. A glass of sugarcane juice with the touch of lemon and ice makes a popular drink which really life both health and depleting levels of energy. Organic sugarcane juice has a strong defence against cancer, especially breast and prostate cancer. Diabetic patients can also consume sugarcane juice because of low glycemic index (GI). Demands of sugarcane juice can easily be seen by the huge crowd rounding the roadside vendors, waiting a glass of Sugarcane juice. Organic Jaggery(gur) is a better sweetener and having all the ingredients of sugarcane juice in addition to sucrose and has more nutritional value and characteristic flavour because of natural compounds and can be prepared by sugarcane growers with the help of a few skill artisans in a small scale. Installation of sugarcane juice bars/outlets/stalls within the Bus Stands, Hospital campuses, Market places, educational institutes, different government offices, KishanMandies, Parks, Tourist Spots, Religious places, etc and organic jaggery(gur) can drastically change the scenario and having opportunities of employment generation as well as increase the income of the farmers in ISD.