Significance of Information Communication Technologies in Sugarcane Production Management and Marketing of Sweetener Products in India

Sugarcane is agro-industrial cash crop of sub-tropical India which supports agrarian based rural economy in a big way. It thrives well under adequate supply of water, nutrients and adverse climate conditions. The crop has the ability as most efficient resources user by producing maximum agro-biomass per unit area and yield. The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools and Apps has played pivotal role in sugarcane production, marketing and its input supply chain management for the clients. It allows farmers to save time and money. They can retrieve information on smartphones. The online licensing policy helps to establish a Jaggery unit to promote agri-entrepreneurs. The effective policy design to maintain transparency in implementation of online system to ensure participation of all the stakeholders. Electronic and social media play a key role in creating awareness amongst the farmers related to the new initiatives. There is a need to adopt a hybrid approach for sugarcane prices with Revenue Sharing Formula (RSF) and FRP. The R & D should be strengthened to develop product quality standards for export promotion in niche markets. The FPOs/FPCs and NGOs should be involved in marketing jaggery products in metro city hyper Malls. The results reveal that the sugarcane utilized by sugar mills has increased from 50.7 to 68.2 percent during 1990-2023. The compound growth rates for jaggery production and consumption were -2.38 and -3.04 percent during 1991-2023 respectively. Its per capita consumption declined from 10.7 Kg in 1990 to 6.2 Kg in the year 2023-24. The quality norms for sweeteners have to be standardized for export promotion in high end cities Malls, where India has logistic and comparative cost advantages. The product marketing in Malls, direct online selling through mobile apps based websites such as Amazon, Flip carts etc. has to be utilized to enhance producer’s share in consumer’s rupee.