sugarcane production in india

8/22/2019 Sugarcane Production in India

1/52

Improving Workers Lives Worldwide

Task and Risk Mapping of

sugaRcane pRoducTion in

india

Prepared by Fair Labor Association

September 2012


2/52

Task and Risk Mapping of sugaRcane pRoducTion in india

www.fairlabor.org

Table of conTenTs

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...............................................................................................................................................2

II. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................3

III. BACKGROUND ..............................................................................................................................................................4

3.1 Agriculture in India .........................................................................................................................................................4

3.2 Sugarcane Production ....................................................................................................................................................5

3.3 Sugarcane Derivatives ...................................................................................................................................................6

IV. STUDY METHODOLOGY ...............................................................................................................................................6

4.1 Assessment Team ............................................................................................................................................................7

4.2 Assessment Stages .........................................................................................................................................................7

4.3 Areas Covered and Inormation Gathering ...............................................................................................................9

V. FINDINGS ........................................................................................................................................................................10

5.1 Sugarcane Cultivation In India ...................................................................................................................................10

5.2 Government Regulations or the Sugarcane Industry .......................................................................................... 13

5.3 Sugarcane Farms in India ............................................................................................................................................ 13

5.4 Labor Profle and Recruitment ...................................................................................................................................145.5 Indian Laws and Legislation or the Agriculture Sector ...................................................................................... 14

5.6 Sugarcane Production and Supply Process ............................................................................................................ 15

5.6.1 Sowing ..................... ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................ .........15

5.6.2 Irrigation ...................... ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................ 16

5.6.3 Fertilizer and Pesticide Application ...................... ........................ ........................ ........................ .................... 16

5.6.4 Harvesting, Bundling, Loading and Transportation to Sugarcane Centers ....................... ................ 16

5.6.5 Unloading Sugarcane at Sugar Mill ...................... ........................ ........................ ........................ .....................17

5.7 Task and Risk Mapping o Sugarcane Production in North India ..................................................................... 17

5.8 Task and Risk Mapping o Sugarcane Production in South India ..................................................................... 21

5.9 Regional Observations ................................................................................................................................................ 24

5.9.1 Uttarakhand ...................... ........................ ......................... ........................ ........................ ........................ .................... 245.9.2 Uttar Pradesh ................................................................................................................................................................25

5.9.3 Gujarat ........................ ........................ ......................... ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................ .... 28

5.9.4 Maharashtra ..................... ........................ ......................... ........................ ........................ ........................ ..................... 31

5.9.5 Karnataka ...................... ........................ ......................... ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................ 36

VI. RISK ASSESSMENT BASED ON FLA CODE OF CONDUCT ........................................................................... 39

VII. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................................. 42

ANNEX I: Labor Laws and Regulations in India: Agriculture Sector .................................................................... 44

ANNEX II: Stakeholders Interviewed or the Study ..................................................................................................46

ANNEX III: Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................................... 51

TABLES AND FIGURES

Table 1: Agriculture in India vs. Rest o the World, Largest Crops By Economic Value ........................................4

Figure 1: Worldwide Sugarcane Production 2010.........................................................................................................5

Table 2: Assessment Stages .................................................................................................................................................8

Figure 2: Field Study Areas and Sugar Producing Regions in India ............................................................................9

Table 3: Sugarcane and Sugar Production in India 2010 2011 ................................................................................10

Table 4: Highlights o the Sugarcane Industry in India .................................................................................................11

Figure 3: Stakeholder Map o Sugarcane Supply Chain in India ................................................................................. 12

Figure 4: Crop Calendar o Sugarcane in India ............................................................................................................... 15
http://applications/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5.app/Contents/MacOS/cividep_draft.pdfhttp://applications/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5.app/Contents/MacOS/cividep_draft.pdf


3/52


www.fairlabor.org

i. eXecuTiVe suMMaRY

Given the Fair Labor Associations expertise

in task and risk mapping in the agriculture

sector and the interests o many FLA

stakeholders, FLA conducted this study

to: (1) map the upstream sugarcane supplychain rom the sugar processing units (sugar

mills) to sugarcane arms; (2) map the

various activities and tasks involved in the

production o sugarcane; (3) conduct a risk

assessment o labor issues with respect to

the various activities and production process

o sugarcane; and (4) map the stakeholders

involved in the sugarcane supply chain.

For the purpose o this mapping, a act-

nding approach was taken involving visits

to ve sugarcane-producing states in India

Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat,

Maharashtra and Karnataka. A total o 91

interviews were conducted during the study,

including management o 10 sugar mills (34

actory management sta); sta at seven

civil society organizations; 13 government

ocials; 11 contractors; 18 armers; and eight

workers. Twenty-one arms were visited

during the course o the study. The questionswere mostly open-ended, keeping in mind

the supply chain review and the various FLA

Code o Conduct elements that required

observation.

India is currently the second-largest producer

o sugarcane and o sugar in the world, ater

Brazil. In 2011-2012, it is estimated that India

produced 380 million tons o cane and 26

26.5 million tons o sugar on an estimated 5.5

million hectares o land. Sugarcane is one o

Indias most important cash crops, accounting

or about 7.5% o the gross value o national

agricultural production.

The Government o India regulates closely the

sugarcane sector and sugar mills. The Central

Government sets out the Fair Remunerative

Price (FRP) or sugarcane at the start o

each season. Some o the states set out

their Statutory Advisory Price (SAP), which

is above the FRP. As per the Supreme Court

ruling,1 it is mandatory or mills to procure

sugarcane at these prices. There are currently

566 sugar mills operating in India, and most

mills are located in the vicinity o sugarcane

production areas to reduce transportation

costs and to retain quality. The command

area o each sugar mill is also dened

by the government and consists o many

thousands o arms including very small

arms located in a 25-50 kilometer radius. It

is mandatory or every actory to supply 10%

o its sugar production to the government

at the Levy Price established by the Central

Government. The remaining production issold in the open market against the release o

quota by the government.

Sugarcane production in India supports

50 million armers and their amilies. The

principal sugarcane growing areas are North

India, especially the state o Uttar Pradesh,

and South India, particularly the states o

Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,

Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. Sugarcane growing

practices in North and South o India vary.

Sugarcane is sown rom February-March

in the North and rom July-October in the

South. Sugarcane yield and sugar recovery

rom cane in the North are considerably lower

than in the South. In the North, sugarcane is

harvested by growers and supplied to sugar

mills/centers. In the South there is a growing

trend o sugar mills (also o armers) utilizing

third-party contractors who engage migrant

workers to harvest the crop to ensure mills

receive the sugarcane in a timely manner.

The laborers (usually married couples) arrive

at the arms with their amilies and work or

eight months (October-May). Children oten

accompany their parents and usually work on

1 Te Essetia Commodities (Amedmet) Bi, 2010

.prsidia.org/prit.pp?bi_id=1236&categor=41


4/52


www.fairlabor.org

the arms alongside their mothers, carrying

seedlings rom trolleys to urrows, sowing,

cleaning, and harvesting. Sowing, harvesting,

loading/unloading and transportation is

mostly done by contract workers.

Farmers preer to harvest sugarcane a daybeore it is to be delivered to the mills so

that it does not lose its moisture content

and weighs more, thus maximizing prots,

with workers typically harvesting around the

clock. There is hardly any documentation at

the arm level. Workers do not have contracts;

wages are oten below minimum wages and

are paid to workers at the end o the harvest.

There are many health and saety concerns

with regards to sugarcane production,including the use o machetes to cut

sugarcane or preparation o seedlings and

or harvesting. Chemicals are oten applied

on the arms without proper protective

equipment or workers. Workers and their

amilies reside in temporary shelters made out

o bamboo and tarpaulin, sometimes without

access to water and sanitation acilities. Some

actories in the South provide schools or the

children o migrant workers, but this is not a

statutory requirement. The monitoring and

enorcement o local labor laws is generally

weak in the sugarcane arms.

Generally, the sugarcane supply chain in

India is transparent. Farmers details can be

tracked rom the data available rom sugar

mills. The association between arms and

the sugar mills provides a great opportunity

to drive compliance with labor standards

through the mills within their commandareas. Training and capacity building o

muqaddam (actory sta who arrange or

labor contractors and pay them advances

on behal o the sugar mill) could have a

positive impact on the recruitment process

and on the living and working conditions o

migrant laborers. Various armer associations,

civil society organizations and sugar cane

societies are connected to the network

o sugarcane growers and are involved in

extending sot loans, awareness building,

irrigation acilities, etc. These could prove

to be good delivery mechanisms or labor

standards and awareness o agronomical

practices. Furthermore, the presence o

various Government bodies and ocials

working in the sugarcane sector could be

leveraged to bring about sustainable change.

ii. inTRoducTion

The Fair Labor Association (FLA) conducted

this study to gather knowledge about the

sugarcane supply chain in India. The study

was designed considering FLAs process

or the agriculture sector that starts with a

mapping exercise, ollowed by task and risk

analysis o the agricultural commodity.

The objectives o this study were to:

maptheupstreamsugarcanesupply

chain rom the sugarcane processing

units (sugar mills) to sugarcane arms;

mapthevariousactivitiesandtasks

involved in the production and supply o

sugarcane rom arms to sugar mills;

conductariskassessmentoflaborissues

with respect to the various activities and

production process o sugarcane; and

mapthestakeholdersinvolvedinthe

sugarcane supply chain.

This report represents an initial step towards

mapping the vast sugarcane productionregions in India, and identiying associated

risks and relevant stakeholders in the eld.

It is intended to orm the basis or uture

mappings and assessments.


5/52


www.fairlabor.org

iii. backgRound

3.1 agRiculTuRe in india

Agriculture is the mainstay o the Indian

economy and provides the principal means

o livelihood or about 60 percent o Indiaspopulation. It contributed about 14.5 percent

o the countrys gross domestic product

(GDP) in 2010-2011. For decades, Indian

agricultural policy has ocused on sel-

suciency and sel-reliance in ood-grain

production. Considerable progress has

been made on this ront, with ood-grain

production rising rom 52 million tons in 1951-

52, to 244.78 million tons in 2010-2011, and an

estimated 250 million tons in 2012.

India has a geographic area o 328.73

million hectares,2 o which the reported

2 1 ectare = 2.47 acres

area or land use is 306.04 million hectares.

Arable land is diminishing under strain rom

rapid urbanization and an ever-increasing

population o over 1.2 billion people. The

net area cultivated in 2011-12 is about 125.49

million hectares, or about 41 percent o the

total reported area. Only about 30 percent

o the total cropped area is irrigated and

the remaining area is rain-ed. Sugarcane

occupies 4.7- 5.1 million hectares o cultivable

land. Currently, India is the second-largest

producer o sugarcane in the world, ater

Brazil.3

Agricultural productivity (measured by

kilogram produced per hectare) in India has

3 Sugarcae productio from FAO statistica database, faostat.fao.

org. Goba cetrifuga sugar productio i 2011-2012 as 171.0 miio

tos ra vaue; Brazis productio as 36.2 miio tos ad Idias

28.8 miio tos; see USDA, Foreig Agricutura Service, Sugar:

World Markets and Trade, Ma 2012.

Table 1. agriculTure in india vs. resT of The World, TWenTy Top crops by economic value

RAnk PRODUCEVAlUE (2009 PRICES,

US$ BIllIOn)UnIT PRICE (US$ / kG)

AVERAGE yIElD InDIA

2010 (TOnS PER

hECTARE)

AVERAGE yIElD

OF wORlDS MOST

PRODUCTIVE FARMS

2010 (TOnS PER

hECTARE)

COUnTRy OF

wORlDS MOST

PRODUCTIVE FARMS

1 Rice $35.74 0.27 3.3 10.8 Austraia

2 Buffao mi $25.07 0.4 1.7 1.9 Paista

3 Co mi $14.09 0.31 1.2 10.3 Israe

4 weat $12.13 0.15 2.8 8.9 neterads

5 Sugarcae $8.61 0.03 66 125 Peru

6 Magoes $8.12 0.6 6.3 40.6 Cape Verde

7 Baaas $7.60 0.28 37.8 59.3 Idoesia

8 Cotto $5.81 1.43 1.6 4.6 Israe

9 Potatoes $5.31 0.15 19.9 44.3 USA

10 Fres Vegetabes $5.28 0.19 13.4 76.8 USA

11 Tomatoes $4.12 0.37 19.3 524.9 Begium

12 Beef $3.84 2.69 0.138 0.424 Taiad

13 Oios $2.92 0.21 16.6 67.3 Iread

14 Ora $2.90 0.64 10.6 20.2 Cprus

15 Cic peas $2.83 0.4 0.9 2.8 Cia

16 Fres fruits $2.79 0.35 7.6 23.9 Israe

17 Eggs $2.65 0.83 13.8 24.7 Jorda

18 Sobea $2.61 0.26 1.1 3.7 Ture

19 Catte meat $2.39 2.7 0.1 0.42 Japa

20 Grouduts $2.33 0.42 1.1 5.5 nicaragua


6/52


www.fairlabor.org

shown a steady nationwide annual increase

over the past six decades. These gains have

come mainly rom Indias Green Revolution,4

increasing public awareness, education

and reorms,5 and improved connectivity

between rural and urban areas through link-

roads. Advances have also been made inthe development o inrastructure such as

agriculture universities, research centers,

procurement centers at district and sub-

division level and provision o electricity

and irrigation acilities in villages. Despite

these accomplishments, agriculture in India

still has the potential or major productivity

enhancements and total output gains,

because crop yields are still about 30-60

percent o the best sustainable crop yields

achieved in arms in other countries. Table 1

presents the 20 most important agricultural

commodities in India, by economic value in

2010. Included in the table is the average

productivity o Indian arms or each product

as well as the average o the most productive

arms in the world the country where the

most productive arms were located in 2010.6

4 .idiaoestop.com/Greerevoutio.tm

5 ttp://coutrstudies.us/idia/102.tm

6 Food ad Agricuture Orgaizatio of te Uited natios -

ttp://faostat.fao.org/ (FAOSTAT, 2009)

3.2 sugaRcane pRoducTion

Sugarcane reers to any o the 6-37 species

o tall perennial grasses o the genus

saccharum. Native to the warm climate o the

tropical regions o South Asia, it has stout

jointed brous stalks that are rich in sugar,

and measure two to six meters high. The

main product o sugarcane is sucrose, which

accumulates in the stalk internodes. Sucrose,

extracted and puried in specialized mills/

actories, is used as raw material in the ood

industry or is ermented to produce ethanol, a

low-pollution uel. In 2010, the United Nations

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

estimated that sugarcane was cultivated

on about 23.8 million hectares o land, in

more than 90 countries, with a worldwideharvest o 1.69 billion tons. Brazil is the largest

producer o sugarcane in the world. Figure 1

shows worldwide production o sugarcane in

2010.

Figure 1: Worldwide Sugarcane Production - 20107

7 Food Ad Agricutura Orgaizatio of Uited natios: Ecoomic

Ad Socia Departmet: Te Statistica Divisio

Figure 1: Worldwide Sugarcane Production - 20107
http://applications/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5.app/Contents/MacOS/cividep_draft.pdfhttp://www.indiaonestop.com/Greenrevolution.htmhttp://www.indiaonestop.com/Greenrevolution.htmhttp://applications/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5.app/Contents/MacOS/cividep_draft.pdf


7/52


www.fairlabor.org

3.3 sugaRcane deRiVaTiVes

Sugarcane and its components are used as

raw materials or a variety o products as

described below.

Crystallized Sugar

The main product o sugarcane is crystallized

sugar, or common white sugar. The stalks

o the sugarcane brought to the mills are

washed, cut into smaller pieces, or shredded.

Sucrose (in the orm o sugarcane juice) is

extracted rom the sugarcane by pressing it

under rollers. The juice undergoes a series o

processes to orm white sugar. The sugarcane

juice is boiled with carbon dioxide and milk

o lime to remove impurities. The clear juice

is ltered and undergoes the process o

evaporation. During evaporation, the claried

sugarcane juice is boiled until it is made

into a thick syrup. The syrup is boiled at

low temperatures under partial vacuum to

create sugar crystals. The sugar crystals and

molasses are separated in centriuges and

lters.

Cane Ethanol

Ethanol is a byproduct o sugar production.The sugar content in the juice is ermented

to orm ethanol. Ethanol can be used as a

bio-uel alternative to gasoline; it is widely

used to power cars in Brazil, where gasoline

is required to contain at least 22 percent

bio-ethanol. The production o ethanol rom

sugarcane is more energy ecient than rom

corn, sugar beets or palm/vegetable oils,

particularly i sugarcane bagasse (the letover

husk rom juice extraction) is used to produceheat and power or the process. Furthermore,

i bio-uels are used or crop production and

transport, the ossil energy input needed or

each ethanol energy unit can be very low.

Bagasse Applications

Sugarcane is one o the plants with the

highest bioconversion eciency. The plant

is able to eciently utilize solar energy,

yielding some 55 tons o dry matter per

hectare o land annually. Ater the harvest,

the crop produces sugar juice and bagasse

the brous dry matter that remains ater the

juice is extracted rom the sugarcane. This

dry matter is biomass with potential as uel

or energy production. With the use o latest

technologies, bagasse produced annually in

Brazil has the potential to meet 20 percent o

Brazils energy consumption by 2020.8

Electricity Production

A number o countries, in particular those

lacking ossil uels, have implemented energy

conservation and eciency measures to

minimize the use o cogenerated energy(steam and electricity) in sugarcane

processing and to export excess electricity to

the grid. Current technologies, such as those

in use in Mauritius, produce over 100 KWh per

ton o bagasse.9 More recent cogeneration

technology plants are being designed to

produce rom 200 to over 300 KWh per ton

o bagasse. As the sugarcane crop is seasonal,

power plants relying on bagasse would need

to manage storage throughout the year.

iV. sTudY MeTHodologY

For the purpose o the task and risk mapping,

a act-nding approach involving visits to

various sugarcane producing regions, mills

and arms was undertaken. Relevant local

people and ocials were interviewed (Annex

II). The questions posed were mostly open-

ended, keeping in mind the supply chainreview and the various FLA Code o Conduct

elements that needed to be observed.

8 .busiessire.com/es/ome/20091214005749/e/Cetre-

novozmes-Biogas-Eectricit-Bagasse

9 Bagassecouldmeetasignicantportionofruralelectricityneedsin

Idia.
http://applications/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5.app/Contents/MacOS/cividep_draft.pdfhttp://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20091214005749/en/Cetrel-Novozymes-Biogas-Electricity-Bagassehttp://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20091214005749/en/Cetrel-Novozymes-Biogas-Electricity-Bagassehttp://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20091214005749/en/Cetrel-Novozymes-Biogas-Electricity-Bagassehttp://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20091214005749/en/Cetrel-Novozymes-Biogas-Electricity-Bagassehttp://applications/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5.app/Contents/MacOS/cividep_draft.pdf


8/52


www.fairlabor.org

Certain challenges arose during the mapping

study, as described below. The approach to

data collection was adapted accordingly.

Sugarcanebeingalong-durationcrop,

dierent processes are carried out

throughout the year. As the eld visitsoccurred during two months (February-

March), only certain aspects o the

production were observed. In North India,

the process o sowing could be observed

as it was occurring at the time o the visit;

in the South, however, sowing is done

in July-October and thereore could not

be observed during the eld visits. The

observations made in the task and risk

mapping section are thereore based ona combination o actual observations and

inormation collected during interviews.

Inspiteofconrmedappointments,some

interviewees were not available at the

scheduled time and considerable time

was spent waiting or them. This was

mostly the case in sugar mills as sta

were unwilling to engage in discussions

until senior management (Chairman or

Managing Director) arrived.

Insomeareas,farmswerelocated2-3

hours rom the sugar mills. Due to high

daytime temperatures in South India,

most arm work is carried out early in

the morning or late in the aternoon.

Thereore, interviews conducted during

the day with armers, workers, and

village-level stakeholders were held in the

village and not necessarily at the arms

while they were working.

DuetoAssemblyElectionsinUttar

Pradesh on March 4, 2012, some o the

armers who conrmed their availability

or interviews could not be contacted

on the day o the visit. The activities on

the arms were also postponed. Hence

neighboring arms were visited and

workers were interviewed.

4.1 assessMenT TeaM

The assessment team was commissionedby FLA and included an independent

external expert with more than 20 years o

experience in the agriculture sector (mainly

sugarcane) and various persons rom local

civil society organizations (listed in Annex

II). Representatives were selected rom the

respective states visited during the study.

The regional experts were selected based

on their knowledge o the region, sugarcane

cultivation, relationships with local armersand sugar mill ocials, and language

capabilities. The regional experts were

brieed about the study goals and interview

techniques beore data collection. The FLA

Director o Agriculture and Strategic Projects

supervised the study and report writing.

4.2 assessMenT sTages

Due to dierences in climatic conditions

between North and South India, sugarcane

cultivation practices dier in the two regions.

Sugarcane is a long-duration crop, with a

12-14 month cycle in the North and a 14-18

month cycle in the South. While sowing in the

North is done in February-March, in the South

the sowing period lasts rom July to October.

However, the harvesting in both regions

starts at the end o October and continues

until April-May. Thereore, it was important to

schedule the visits in February-March in orderto cover the main processes o cultivation, i.e.

sowing and harvesting. The entire assessment

took place rom February to April 2012, and

was divided into the ollowing stages (Table

2):


9/52


www.fairlabor.org

Table 2: assessmenT sTages

STAGES TIME PERIOD (2012) ASSESSMEnT TEAM MEMBER(S) COnTEnT AnD OBJECTIVES

dkt Februar 1 15 FlA- commissioed expert

Researc o sugarcae soig ad

arvestig i nort ad Sout Idia. Based

onthisresearch,vesugarcane-producingregios (states) ere seected for mappig. A

or-pa as submitted to te FlA Director

of Agricuture for approva.

pt Februar- Marc FlA-commissioed expert

Coectio of data from te Miistr of

Agricuture ad procuremet of reevat

researc materia. Oie researc coducted

to ocate oca CSOs i te sugarcae groig

regionsofthevestates.TheselectedCSOs

ere cotacted to scedue te visits to

coicide it te arvestig ad/or soig

seaso of sugarcae i te respective districts

of seected states.

mk tt wt

csoFebruar-Marc FlA-commissioed expert

Commuicatios ed it severa district-eve CSOs i order to uderstad teir

experienceintheeldandnalizeasuitable

timeforeldvisits.

itw wt tk-

t

t

Februar MarcFlA-commissioed expert ad oca CSO

member

Itervies ed it sma, medium ad

arge farm oers, cotractors, oca ad

migrat abor, sugar factor maagemet,

staffandGovt.ofcialstounderstand

te supp cai, te riss ivoved, te

caeges faced b te staeoders, ad

govermet poicies. Researcers deveoped

a better uderstadig of strategies used

b sugarcae suppiers ad existig sugar

procuremet poicies.

Assessment feld visits

t tFebruar- Marc

FlA-commissioed expert ad oca CSO

members

Itervies ed it staeoders,

govermeta istitutios ad reated

orgaizatios i te states of Uttaraad,

Uttar Prades, Gujarat, Maarastra ad

karataa, accompaied b oca CSOs of

te seected districts of eac state. Te visits

to sugar factories ad some farms ere

aouced, ie visits to some farmers

ad orers ere uaouced. Give te

reatiosip betee te accompaig

CSOs, a staeoders exteded fu support

ad cooperatio.

Debriefng Februar-Marc FlA-commissioed expert ad oca CSO

Adebriengsessionwasheldwiththe

accompaig CSO members to revie,

analyzeandnalizethendings.

rt Wt Apri-Ma FlA-commissioed expertAasis of a te documets ad coected

data ad compiatio of te report.

dt rt

sMa FlA-commissioed expert

Submissio of te draft report it reevat

iformatio, refereces, maps, tabes ad

potograps to te FlA for feedbac ad

furtherrenement.


10/52


www.fairlabor.org

4.3 aReas coVeRed and infoRMaTion

gaTHeRing

Inormation was collected mainly through

interviews with stakeholders involved at

various stages o the supply chain. Data was

collected by visiting ve prominent sugarcaneproducing states in India: Uttarakhand, Uttar

Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

In those ve states, 11 sugarcane or sugar-

producing regions were visited. The regions

(Udham Singh Nagar, Pilibhit, Lakhimpur

Kheri, Tapi, Surat, Satara, Sangli, Belgaum,

Bhuinj, Pune and Mysore) are depicted in

Figure 2, along with the major cities near

those regions (New Delhi, Bengaluru).

A total o 91 interviews were conducted

during the study, which included interviews

with 34 actory managers and sta at 10

sugar mills; sta rom 7 national and regional

civil society organizations; 13 national and

regional Government ocials; 11 labor

contractors; 18 sugarcane armers; and 8

workers rom sugarcane arms. A total o

21 sugarcane arms were visited during the

course o the study. Annex II provides details

o the interviews conducted with the various

stakeholders involved in the sugarcane supply

chain in all ve states.

Figure 2. Field Study Areas and Sugar

Producing Regions in India10

10 Atas of Sugar Mis i Idia, August 2011, ISMA.

Figure 2: Field Study Areas and Sugar Producing Regions in India10


11/52


www.fairlabor.org

V. findings

5.1 sugaRcane culTiVaTion in india

Sugarcane occupies about 3 percent o the

total cultivated area in India and it is one o

the most important cash crops, contributingabout 7.5 percent o the gross value o

agricultural production in the country. It

is the primary raw material or all major

sweeteners produced in the country. At

present, sugarcane is cultivated throughout

the country except in certain hilly tracts in

Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh (Figure 2).

The sugarcane growing areas may be broadly

classied into two agro-climatic regions:

sub-tropical (North India) and tropical (SouthIndia). Major portions o sugarcane cultivation

in India occur in the sub-tropical belt: Uttar

Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Bihar are important

cane growing states in this region. The

armers in Punjab and Haryana are shiting

rom sugarcane to shorter duration crops. As

a result, the area utilized or sugarcane has

decreased in the last ve years. Sugarcane

is also grown in a ew pockets in Madhya

Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Assam,but productivity in these states is quite low.

Sugarcane is grown extensively in the tropical

belt, including the states o Maharashtra,

Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and

Gujarat. Since sugarcane is a tropical crop,

these states have avorable agro-climatic11

conditions or its growth. Sugarcane yields

are substantially higher in the tropical belt

11 Accordig to te itervieed civi societ orgaizatios, scarcit of

freshwaterisaffectingtheproductivityandprotabilityofsugarcane

groers ad miers i Idia. Approximate 25,000 iters of ater is

eeded to produce 100 iograms of sugarcae. Uess sugarcae

farmers are itroduced to e metods for producig iger ieds

usig muc ess ater (e.g., b usig drip irrigatio) te coutr i

nditdifculttomeetthegrowingdemandforsugar.Thewatertableis

depetig ever ear. I te future, tese caeges i become eve

more compex it cimate cage iducig direct ad idirect effects

o crops, ater, pests ad diseases, ad voatiit i te iteratioa

maret.

compared to the sub-tropical regions, and

the sugar recovery is also higher than in the

other regions. Higher yields are attributed

to a longer-duration crop; a high-yielding,

disease-resistant variety o seeds; avorable

climatic conditions; better irrigation acilities;11

and good soil quality, which is ideal or

sugarcane cultivation. Higher recovery o

sugar is attributed to a longer-duration crop

and sowing o varieties containing high

levels o sucrose. Another major actor or

higher recovery is the quicker transportation

o harvested sugarcane to the actories in

the South, as compared to the North. The

availability o a sucient quantity o good

quality sugarcane is an important pre-

requisite or a sugar mill to be economically

viable. The cost o transportation and

deterioration in quality increases signicantly

with the distance o the mills rom where

sugarcane is procured.

Sugarcane and sugar production in India is

shown in Table 3.12 Sugarcane production

in 2010-2011 has been estimated at over

340 million metric tons, with most o the

sugarcane destined or sugar production atone o the countrys mills.13 O the estimated

12 Trade ad Idustr Sources

13 Aroud 30 percet of te sugarcae produced i Idia is for maig

gur (aso caed jagger) ad adsari, to oca sugar products

eate b te rura popuatio ad for fres juice sod to cosumers.

Te maufacture ofgur ad kadsari is predomiat i karataa,

TamilNaduandUttarPradesh;signicantquantitiesarealsoproduced

i Adra Prades, haraa ad Pujab. Tese items are produced i

sma viage-eve set-ups caed crusers ad ot i sugar mis.

Table 3: sugarcane and sugar producTion

in india 2010-2011

TITlE 2010-2011 2011-2012*

Area (miio ectares) 4.98 5.47

Cae productio (miio tos) 346.00 380.00

Sugar productio (miio tos) 24.20-24.50 26.00-26.50

* Figures for 2011-2012 are unofcial estimates as the crop is still in planting stage

Source: Trade and Industry Sources


12/52


www.fairlabor.org

24 million tons o sugar produced in 2010-14

2011, India exported about 3.61 million tons15

(around 14 percent o its production). India16

is the second-largest producer o sugar in

the world and is the biggest consumer o

sugar domestically (22 million tons in 2011).

In 2012, it is estimated that India will produce

about 26-26.5 million tons o sugar. Table 4

provides details o the total area cultivated

and output o sugar by state.

14ha = hectare

15 la = 100,000

16 MT = Metric To

Data in Table 4 show that sugarcane yields

vary signicantly across states. The variety

o sugarcane that is cultivated aects yields.

Various experiments conducted under the All

India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP)17

have developed high-yield varieties o

sugarcane suitable to be grown under specic

climatic conditions. There is an urgent need

or replacement o existing varieties with

more productive ones.18

17 .iisr.ic.i/aicrp.tm

18 Miistr of Cosumer Affairs, Food ad Pubic Distributio

http://dfpd.nic.in/?q=node/254

*Other states include Assam, Goa, Kerela, Nagaland, Orrisa, West Bengal and the Union Territories of Dadar and Nagar Havel

Source: Atlas of Sugar Mills in India, August 2011, ISMA.

Table 4: ToTal area culTivaTed and ouTpuT of sugar, by sTaTes

indian sugar indusTry- highlighTs (season 2009-10)

STATECAnE AREA (000

hA )14

CAnE

PRODUCTIOn

(lAkh15 MT 16)

CAnE yIElD

MT/hA

nO. OF

wORkInG MIllS

CAnE CRUShED

(lAkh MT)

SUGAR

PRODUCTIOn

(lAkh MT)

SUGAR

RECOVERy %

AVERAGE

SEASOn DAyS

Adra Prades 158 117 74 35 55.47 5.15 9.28 63

Assam 27 11 39 See oter states See oter states See oter states See oter states See oter states

Biar 116 50 43 9 27.24 2.58 9.49 66

Gujarat 154 124 81 18 112.95 11.89 10.53 151

haraa 74 53 72 14 26.48 2.48 9.37 59

karataa 337 304 90 54 239.77 25.58 10.67 127

keraa 3 3 95 See oter states

Mada Prades

& Catisgar

62 25 41 14 9.63 0.8 9.22 47

Maarastra 756 642 85 143 613.9 70.67 11.51 143

Orissa 8 5 61 See oter states See oter states See oter states See oter states See oter states

Pujab 60 37 62 15 21.12 1.81 8.59 54

Rajasta 6 3 57 1 0.48 0.04 7.8 60

Tami nadu &

Puducerr293 297 101 42 145.52 12.99 8.93 145

Uttar Prades 1,977 1,171 59 128 567.34 51.79 9.13 84

Uttaraad 96 58 61 10 31.74 2.92 9.19 86

Oter states* 48 23 36 7 3.84 0.42 8.8 40

Tt 4,175 2,923 70 490 1,855.48 189.12 10.19 109
http://applications/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5.app/Contents/MacOS/cividep_draft.pdfhttp://fcamin.nic.in/http://fcamin.nic.in/http://applications/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5.app/Contents/MacOS/cividep_draft.pdf


13/52


www.fairlabor.org

Despite industry eorts, sugarcane yield

and sugar content have not improved

signicantly in the past three years. Thereore,

the government and industry are debating

whether the sugar industry should continue

to depend on one input crop (sugarcane)

or explore the use o other alternate raw

materials, such as sugar beets. Recent studies

have shown that it is possible to cultivate

sugar beets in tropical conditions and that

using sugar beets as raw materials can aect

industry economics. According to the Ministry

o Consumer Aairs and Food Distribution,

sugar beets can complement sugarcane to

extend the duration o the crushing season

and also to enhance sugar yields. Another

input crop could be sweet sorghum; sweet

sorghum can be processed alongside

sugarcane or sugar beet to produce ethanol.

Thereore, a combination o sugarcane, sugar

beet and sweet sorghum inputs could help

the sugar industry develop the right product

mix and achieve commercial sustainability.

Sugarcane production in India involves many

stakeholders along the supply chain rom

the government, industry and NGOs. Figure

3 illustrates the stakeholder map and the

relationships between dierent actors.

The activities o the dierent stakeholders are

explained in detail in the ollowing sections.

Figure 3: Stakeholder Map o Sugarcane Supply Chain in India


14/52


www.fairlabor.org

5.2 goVeRnMenT RegulaTions foR THe

sugaRcane indusTRY

Sugar is one o the commodities listed in the

Essential Commodities Act 1955.19 The Indian

government comprehensively regulates the

purchase o sugarcane and sale o sugar.Regulations are applied along the entire

value chain, including land demarcation,

sugarcane procurement, sugarcane price,

sugar production and sugar sales by mills

in domestic and international markets.20

The Central Government sets out the Fair

Remunerative Price (FRP) or sugarcane at

the beginning o each season. Some o the

states set out their Statutory Advisory Price

(SAP), which is above the FRP. The SupremeCourt has ruled that it is mandatory or sugar

mills to procure sugar cane at these prices.21

SAP is prescribed in ve states in India.

The Ministry o Consumer Aairs, Food

and Public Distribution sets out the FRP.

For the sugar season 2011-12, the FRP is set

at Rs.1450 per ton, linked to a 9.5 percent

recovery level, with an increase o INR1.53

or every 0.1 percentage point increase in the

recovery above 9.5 percent. In the currentseason, while the states o Uttarakhand and

Uttar Pradesh are paying INR 2400-2450 per

ton or general sugarcane varieties and INR

2500-2550 per ton or early varieties (which

mature earlier in the season), the rates in

South India are lower by INR100-150 per ton.

Low sugarcane prices and pending arrears

payments22 - estimated at INR 2270 million

or the year 2010-11 - are major reasons or

armers agitation.

19 seedet.gov.i/.../Essetia_Commodit_Act_1955(no_10_

of_1955).

20 ISMA Idia Sugar year Boo 2004-05.

21 ttp://artices.ecoomictimes.idiatimes.com/eord/sugarcae/

featured/2

22 Arrears pamets are pamets tat eed to be paid b sugar mis

to farmers agaist sugarcae procured i te previous seaso or i

previous mots of te curret seaso.

The State Sugarcane Department demarcates

the sugarcane supply area or each

sugar mill; mills are required to procure

sugarcane rom the command area at the

government-declared rates. The actories

cannot procure rom areas outside their

command area without prior approval o

the State Government. There are currently

566 sugar mills operating in India, most o

which are located in the vicinity o sugarcane

production areas to reduce transportation

costs and to retain quality. The catchment

area o each sugar mill consists o many

thousands o arms including very small

arms located in a 25-50 kilometers radius

(sometimes extending up to 80 kms based

on the number o arms and number o sugarmills present in the area).

The Government regulates sugar supplies in

all private, public or co-operative sugar mills.

It is mandatory or every actory to supply 10

percent o its production to the government

at the Levy Price23 set by the Central

Government. The remaining production is

sold in the open market against the release

o quota by the government. The sugar mill

can sell a xed quantity o sugar, or quota,

in the market. This quantity is based on the

production capacity o the sugar mill and

is released periodically by the government.

The main purpose behind this regulation is

to keep control o the sugar stocks and to

regulate its Market Retail Price (MRP).

5.3 sugaRcane faRMs in india

Sugarcane production in India supports 50million armers and their amilies.24 Sugar

actories are considered to be welare

centers in rural areas, as they give scope or

establishment o educational institutions,

23 .ivemit.com/2012/01/30211021/Govt-ies-ev-sugar-

prices-b.tm

24 ISMA Idia Sugar year Boo 2004-05.
http://applications/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5.app/Contents/MacOS/cividep_draft.pdfhttp://tinyurl.com/a7tb7e5http://tinyurl.com/a7tb7e5http://tinyurl.com/a7tb7e5http://tinyurl.com/a7tb7e5http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/keyword/sugarcane/featured/2http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/keyword/sugarcane/featured/2http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/keyword/sugarcane/featured/2http://www.livemint.com/Politics/bGPhlAwgPmIfheC9VYKHYN/Govt-hikes-levy-sugar-prices-by-Rs-58-per-quintal-this-year.htmlhttp://www.livemint.com/Politics/bGPhlAwgPmIfheC9VYKHYN/Govt-hikes-levy-sugar-prices-by-Rs-58-per-quintal-this-year.htmlhttp://www.livemint.com/Politics/bGPhlAwgPmIfheC9VYKHYN/Govt-hikes-levy-sugar-prices-by-Rs-58-per-quintal-this-year.htmlhttp://www.livemint.com/Politics/bGPhlAwgPmIfheC9VYKHYN/Govt-hikes-levy-sugar-prices-by-Rs-58-per-quintal-this-year.htmlhttp://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/keyword/sugarcane/featured/2http://tinyurl.com/a7tb7e5http://applications/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5/Adobe%20InDesign%20CS5.5.app/Contents/MacOS/cividep_draft.pdf


15/52


www.fairlabor.org

hospitals, communication, transportation

acilities, etc. Three types o armers grow

sugarcane in India. Marginal and small armers

grow sugarcane on less than 2 hectares o

land and mostly employ amily members or

production processes. Medium-size armers

grow sugarcane on about 2-10 hectares o

land and employ hired labor or production

processes such as tilling, land preparation,

weeding, sowing and harvesting. Large

armers grow sugarcane on more than 50

hectares o land.25 Most o the arming is

mechanized on the large arms due to the

volume o work. Medium and large arms

generally have some (1-10) permanent

workers, depending upon the size o the

arms. During the peak production period,additional workers are hired on a daily or

piece rate basis. In North India, most arms

are small to medium-size; large arms are

located in the Terai belt o Uttarakhand.

Farms o all sizes are present in South India

(mainly Maharashtra).

5.4 laboR pRofile and RecRuiTMenT

Medium and large-size armers employhired labor or sugarcane production. The

labor is typically hired through a third-

party contractor who sources workers rom

adjoining districts and even neighboring

states. This contractor is generally a member

o the village community back home. One

person in one village acts as the contractor o

the workers. The laborers arrive at the arms

with their amilies and work or eight months.

The children who come with their amilies

also work on the arms. They usually work

alongside in sowing, carrying the seedlings

rom the trolley to the urrows, weeding and

harvesting activities. Other tasks in sugarcane

25 ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/005/ac484e/ac484e00.pdf

production require an adult, as the sugarcane

is a bulky and heavy crop to handle. There

is no specialized production processes

(such as hybridization or seed crops) with

high labor requirements. The wages paid to

workers are generally below the minimum

wage as prescribed by the government

or the agriculture sector. Payments to the

workers are usually made ater the harvest

is over, the sugarcane has been supplied to

the mills, and the armers have received their

payments. The workers usually reside at the

arms, where a member o the group cooks

or the other workers while they work. There

is no documentation o any kind at the arms

or either the workers or contractors. During

the rainy season (JulySeptember), whenthere is limited work, the workers go back to

their native places.

5.5 indian laws and legislaTion foR

THe agRiculTuRe secToR

Although Indian labor laws are

comprehensive, there is general lack o

implementation and proper labor inspection

across unorganized sectors, especiallyin agricultural arms. The majority o the

armers are small landowners with a very

small hired workorce; thereore, in many

cases local labor laws do not apply. In recent

years, the government has made some

eorts to develop specic legislation or the

agriculture sector, e.g., setting out minimum

wages and minimum age o work. Overall,

implementation o labor laws and monitoring

by the government or by the private sector is

weak. A description and list o applicable laws

can be ound in Annex 1.


16/52


www.fairlabor.org

5.6 sugaRcane pRoducTion and

supplY pRocess

The planting o a new crop takes place in

February-March in North India and July-

October in South India. The season lasts

about 14-18 months, wherein two crops

o sugarcane are harvested. The secondharvest o the crop has a smaller yield

compared to the rst harvest.26 The yields are

approximately 50 tons per hectare or the

rst harvest, and 45 tons per hectare or the

second harvest. Figure 4 presents the crop

calendar o sugarcane in India.

The various processes involved in the

production o sugarcane are listed below.

5.6.1 Sowing

Sugarcane sowing in North India starts rom

the second week o February and continues

until the end o March. Small armers hire

a tractor or use their own ox or ploughing

and preparing the land or sowing. Sowing

is done manually and mostly involves amily

26 Ratua or ratoo is a e soot or sprout sprigig from te base of

a sugarcae pat after croppig.

members. The armers amilies work on

the arm, as hiring o contractors/ labor is

expensive. During the sowing period, which

may last 1-2 days, the children o the amily

do not attend school. Instead, they assist their

parents in the various operations o sowing.

The medium and large-sized armers hirecontractors rom their own or near-by

villages, who bring workers (perhaps their

own amilies and relatives) who stay at the

arm until the sowing is completed. The

armers pay the contractors INR 2000-

2200 per acre; payable ater the sowing

is completed. During eld visits it was

observed that child labor is oten used

by the contractors or light work, such as

transportation o sugarcane setts to theurrows, and in some cases also or dangerous

tasks such as cutting sugarcane into setts

with the use o machetes. Older children are

engaged or dropping the sugarcane rom

the trolleys to the elds. While the setts are

being dropped in the urrows, a basal dose o

ertilizers and pesticides is applied manually

by a person walking behind the tractor. The

Figure 4: Crop Calendar o Sugarcane in India


17/52


www.fairlabor.org

task o applying ertilizers is dangerous; it is

risky to walk on uneven soil behind the sharp-

edged agricultural implements and hazardous

because no personal protective equipment

(PPE) is used while mixing and applying

pesticides and ertilizers. The majority o the

armers are uninormed about the proper use

o PPE. During interviews with the armers,

it was observed that even educated armers

do not use PPE because they consider it an

additional cost.

5.6.2 Irrigation

Germination o sugarcane begins 2-3 weeks

ater sowing. On small arms, amily members

are usually involved in irrigation o the

elds, while medium and large armers usetheir permanent workers or hire daily-wage

workers. Depending on the weather and

the soil condition, watering is done every

40-45 days until harvest. It was observed

during interviews that neither the permanent

workers nor the daily-wage workers are

paid minimum wages during irrigation. No

children were seen participating in irrigation

during arm visits. Oten, watering during the

summer is done at night in rural areas due tothe availability o electricity used to run water

pumps. There are risks posed by a lack o

adequate lighting on the arms; working in the

elds at night exposes the workers to snakes

and wild animals.

5.6.3 Fertilizer and Pesticide Application

A ew days ater the rst irrigation, the

rst top dressing o ertilizer is applied,

generally through broadcasting. Weedicides

are simultaneously mixed with pesticides

and sprayed throughout the entire eld.

The process is repeated ater two months.

Spraying pesticides and weedicides without

using PPE is hazardous, and the workers

are mostly unaware o potential harms and

proper use o PPE. Children typically are not

engaged in chemical application.

5.6.4 Harvesting, Bundling, Loading and

Transportation to Sugarcane Centers

Sugar actories become operational in mid-

October and continue to operate until March

or April, depending upon the availability o

sugarcane. In July-August, the sugar actories

conduct a survey o the sugarcane area

allotted to them by the State Sugarcane

Commissioner. They then prepare a plan

(quota) o sugarcane to be supplied by each

grower. The quantity o sugarcane supplied

by each grower is distributed over the entire

crushing season and supply tokens are

issued accordingly. The sugar mills operate

through collection centers that they open at

various places within their command area.

These centers issue a slip (parchi) to the

armers that prescribes the dates when their

sugarcane will be weighed. The sugarcane

is usually harvested a day beore it is to be

supplied to the centers so that it does not

lose its moisture content and weighs more

so as to maximize prots. To accomplish this,

workers work round the clock to harvest the

sugarcane rom the arms.

While small armers involve their amily inharvesting and transporting the sugarcane

to the collection centers, the medium and

large armers hire contractors who bring labor

either rom the nearby villages or arrange

migrant workers. The migrants amilies,

including children, are involved in harvesting,

bundling and loading. It was noticed during

interviews that the workers are paid between

INR 150-180 per ton o sugarcane harvested.

Harvesting is a hazardous task, as it involves

the use o machetes without any protection.

Moreover, workers oten work without shoes

in the elds, exposing them to risks o snake

and scorpion bites. The armer and/or his

driver attaches the loaded trolley behind

the tractor and erries it to the designated

sugarcane center.


18/52


www.fairlabor.org

The administrator at the sugarcane

production center weighs the sugarcane and

issues a slip recording the total net weight

supplied by the armer. The sugarcane is then

loaded onto trucks by the contracted labor o

the sugar mill. The loading contractor is paid

INR 20 per ton. Loading is a dangerous task,

and accidents are requent. Chopping loaded

sugarcane so that it ts better on the trolleys

or trucks has its own risks. The transporter,

who is paid INR 100-150 per ton, depending

upon the distance, transports sugarcane rom

the center to the sugar mill. The drivers o the

trucks are always at risk, as most o the trucks

are over-loaded and oten topple due to poor

road conditions. Payment to the armer is

generally made a month ater the sugarcanehas been supplied. The armer produces his

supply slip at the payment counter o the mill

and, ater verication, payment is made at the

declared rate.

5.6.5 Unloading Sugarcane at Sugar Mill

Sugarcane arrives at a sugar actory in

bullock-carts, tractor-driven trolleys ortrucks. Ater the gate-entry is completed,

the sugarcane is weighed at the weighbridge

and placed near the loading conveyor under

the punja, a mechanical device controlled

by a manually operated over-head crane that

grips the sugarcane and releases it onto the

conveyor. Another method or unloading the

sugarcane is by manually tying a steel rope

around the bundles o sugarcane and hauling

the bundles by the over-head crane onto theconveyor.

PhASE OF PRODUCTIOn TASkS/ACTIVITIES SkIllS REqUIREDROlE OF ChIlDREn, yOUTh AnD ADUlTS AnD

ASSOCIATED RISkS

1. lad preparatio

(Jauar

Februar)

Ploughingtoloosenthesoiltoadepth

of 18-24 ices ad destro eeds,

grasses ad roots of te recet

arvested crop.

Useoftractorsbymediumandlargefarmers, ad ox or buffao b sma

farmers.

Afterproperploughing,planking

(leveling)isdonetoclosetheeld

ad retai its moisture uti te time

of soig.

Sowingisnormallydonetwo-three

ees after pougig, depedig

o te eater coditios, ad

avaiabiit of seeds, fertiizers,

equipmentandlabor.Hoesareused

for maua soig.

Knowledgeofhandling,maintenance

ad repair of tractors, ad agricutura

equipment.

Knowledgeofharnessingdraught

aimas.

Knowledgeofcontouringofland

for proper draiage ad to prevet

ateroggig ad soi erosio.

Knowledgeofgoodseeds,correct

use of fertiizer ad oedge of

eater patters.

Childrenandwomendonotgenerally

pa a roe i te preparatio of

ad. Te sma farmers prepare te

ad temseves it te ep of

ox or buffao. hadig aimas is

dangerousattimesastheyarequite

upredictabe.

Smallandmedium-sizefarmerscan

aso ire tractors, drive b sied

drivers, to prepare te ad ad

pa te estabised rate per acre.

Caces of accidet ad ijur are

commo ie adig macier or

tractorequipment.

Marginalfarmersoftendrivetheirown

tractors to prepare ad for soig.

Somemediumandlargefarmers

empo drivers to operate teir

tractors. hig possibiit of accidetie drivig te tractor. Abseteeism

of driver coud cause dea i ad

preparatio.

5.7 Task and Risk Mapping of sugaRcane pRoducTion in noRTH india


19/52


www.fairlabor.org


ASSOCIATED RISkS

2. Patig seeds

(Februar

Marc)

Harrowingtheeldwithtractor,

buffao or ox ad maig furros.

Droppingsetts(sugar-caneseeds)

troug seed dri or maua i

sige or doube ros.

Anexperiencedpersonwhocan

mae furros i proper ros it te

ridger attaced beid te tractor.

Askillfulpersonwhocanharnessthe

draugt aima to mae furros.

Knowledgeofgoodqualityseeds.

Skillincuttingsettsofpropersizefor

seed patig.

Familiesofsmallholdingsareinvolved

i compete soig activities.

Soig is give to a cotractor o a

estabised rate per acre. he egages

is fami members ad reatives/

eigbors. hirig ome ad cidreis ver commo.

Childrenareexposedtogreatrisks

ie cuttig seeds it macetes.

Riskofheat,dehydrationand

exposure to su.

3. Fertiizer

appicatio

(Februar

Marc)

Basa Dose

(Ma-Jue)

Top Dressig(August-

September)

Secod Dose

(november

December)

Tird Dose

(optioa)

Basaldoseoffertilizersand

cemicas appied troug a seed-dri

or maua.

Differentkindsoffertilizersaremixed

ontheeldandlledinindividual

bags for broadcastig.

Plankingisdoneimmediatelyto prevet seed damage due to

exposure to eat or cod.

Fertilizersfortopdressingsarealso

prepared simiar.

Knowledgeoffertilizers,pesticides

ad isecticides is ver importat.

Skillinoperatingaseed-drillattached

to te tractor.

Fertilizermixingandbroadcasting

requirespropertechnique.

Childrenandwomenarenot

egaged i broadcastig fertiizers

or operatig seed-dris; oever,

oug orers are at times egaged

i te operatios, Teir age caot

be ascertaied as tere are o

documets avaiabe to substatiate.

Operatorsgetinjuredwhilehandling

seed-dris

Mixingandbroadcastingfertilizers

itout usig PPE is azardous to

eat.

Exposuretosunisahealthhazard.

Weightofbagscausesstrainon

souders ad bac.

4. Irrigatio

1st aterig

(Apri-Ma)

2d aterig

(Ju- August)

(rais

suppemet)

3rd aterig

(September-

October)

(Mosoo

suppemet

partia)

(December-

Jauar)

4t aterig for

ate arvestig

Irrigatingeitherthroughcanalortube-

e bore.

Monitoringavailabilityofcanalwater.

Repairingtube-wellmotorandpump.

Arrangingdieselfortherunningof

fue-ru tube-es.

Repairingtractors.

Requestingruralelectricity

departmet for supp of eectricit for

eectrica operated pumps.

Makingtemporarydrainsandcheck-

as for caeizig ater usig

oes.

Knowledgeofoperatingtube-well.

Knowledgeofplumbing.

Knowledgeofelectricalrepairs.

Knowledgeofrepairsand

maiteace of pumps.

Knowledgeofoperatingtractors.

Drainingexcesswater.

Childrenandwomengenerallyarenot

ivoved i tese activities. hoever,


i te operatios; teir age caot

be ascertaied, as tere are odocumets avaiabe to substatiate.

Riskofelectricshockswhenworking

aroud ater ad eectricit.

Drinkinggroundwaterwithout

treatmet.

Wateringtheelds,especiallyat

igt, exposes orers to te ris of

sae ad scorpio bites ad id

aimas.


exposure to su.

Riskofgettinginjuredwhileworking

it a oe.

Blistersonpalmsasaresultof

cotiuous use of oe.

Strainonbackandshouldersfrom

usig oe.


20/52


www.fairlabor.org


ASSOCIATED RISkS

5. Rougig/

had-eedig

(Jue-August)

Removalofgrassandweedsby

ad.

Cuttingunwantedweedsandgrasses

it sices.

Peeling-offunwantedweedsandgrasses it oes.

Knowledgeofunwantedgrassesand

eeds.

Usingsicklesandhoes.

Children,women,andyoung

orers are geera egaged i

tis operatio, but teir age caot



Usingsicklesandhoescancause

ijuries.

Walkingbare-feetexposesworkersto

sae ad scorpio bites.

Exposuretoheatandsun.

6. Tig peripera

ros of

sugarcae

(Ju-September)

Assugarcanegainsheight,the

peripera ros are tied; oterise i

aterogged areas, sugarcae toppes

eve it a gete breeze.

Tyingthesugarcaneatthe

appropriate eigt.

Decidingthenumberofcanesthat

eed to be tied togeter.

Onlyadultworkersareengaged.

Oftenstoolsandladdersareusedfor

tig at iger eves.

Dangeroffallingoffthestoolsor

adders.

Handsandlegsgetcutbyrazor-sharp

eaves of sugarcae.

Exposuretosnakebites,scorpion

bitesandinsectsintheelds.


7. harvestig Ratua

or Ratoo

(October-

november)

Pat

(December-

Marc)

Harvestinginsmalllandholdings

doe maua b fami members.

Harvestinginmediumandlargeland

odigs doe geera b cotract

abor.

Daily-wageworkersdoharvestingin

some cases.

Sugarcaneisrstcutwiththe

macete just above te surface of tesoi.

Sugarcaneisthencleanedwith

sices.

Cleanedsugarcaneistiedinbundles.

Greenstalksofsugarcanearetied

ad tae b orers for teir catte.

Bundledsugarcaneisloadedontothe

tractor-drive troes or buoc-carts.

Cuttingsugarcanebymachetesatthe

base just above te surface of te soi

is a speciaized job.

Skilledworkerisabletocutenough

sugarcae for ceaig b oter

orers.

Tyingsugarcaneneatlyinbundles

requiresskill.

Deftlyloadingbundlesofsugarcaneoto troes/buoc carts for

eigig.

Adultmaleworkersharvest

sugarcae. hoever, femae ad

oug orers ad eve cidre

ave bee spotted arvestig

sugarcae.

Men,women,youngworkersand

cidre cea sugarcae it sices.

Men,womenandyoungworkers

mae sugarcae budes ad oad

tem o troes ad buoc-carts.

Usingmachetesandsicklescanlead

to severe cuts.

BundlingandloadingwithoutPPE

ca cause ijur.

Workinginsugarcaneeldsexposes

to saebites, scorpio bites, isect-

bites.

Exposuretoheat,sun,fog,frost,cold

ad rai.

Blistersonthepalms.


21/52


www.fairlabor.org


ASSOCIATED RISkS

8. Trasportig

sugarcae from

eldtosugarcane

ceter

(October-Marc)

Attachingloadedtrolleytotractor.

Attachingloadedcarttooxorbuffalo.

Transportingloadedtrolley/carttothe

sugarcae ceter.

Gettingloadedtrolleys/cartsweighed

o te eig-bridge.

Parkingweighedtrolleys/carts

aogside orries for trasfer of

sugarcae.

Gettingemptytrolleys/cartsweighed.

Collectingweighingslip.

Maintenanceofweighbridge.

Maintenanceoftractorandtrolley.

Operatingskillsfortractorandtrolley.

Maintenanceofcartandhandling

draugt aimas.

Operatingbullock-cart.

Checkingcorrectweighingoftrolley/

cart.

Crosscheckingweighingslip.

Adultworkersengagedinthe

operatio.

Duetouneveneldsandbadroads,

caces of oaded tractor-troe

toppig over.

Attimes,draughtanimalsget

ucotroabe.

Absenteeismoftractordriverdelays

te supp of sugarcae to te cae

ceter, reducig its eigt ad overa

quality,therebyaffectingtheincome

of te farmer. Exposure to eat, su,

fog, frost ad cod.

Nightdrivingtosugarcanecenteris

ris.

Correctreadingofweighbridgeand

eigig sip.

9. Trasportigsugarcae from

sugarcae ceter

to factor

(October-Marc)

Contractlabortransferssugarcane

from oaded troe/ buoc-cart to

orr.

Lorryproperlystackedformaximum

oad of sugarcae.

Lorryweighedattheweighbridge.

Lorrydrivercollectsdocuments

ad drives over-oaded orr from

sugarcae ceter to te sugar factor.

Maintenanceoflorry.

Maintenanceofweighbridge.

Expertinhandlingandloading

sugarcae.

Expertinmaximumloadingof

sugarcae i orr.

Expertintheuseofmachetes.

Maintenanceoflorry.

Cautiousindrivingover-loadedlorry

o bad roads troug viages.

Knowledgeofdirectandalternate

routes from sugarcae ceter to te

sugar mi.

Onlyadultmaleworkersengagedin

te operatios.

Goodlorrydriversfordrivingover-

oaded troes.

Contractworkersoftenconsume

acoo durig or, ic poses

riss for drivig.

Over-loadedlorriestendtotoppleat

te sigtest misbaace.

Workersexposedtoheat,sun,cold,

fog ad frost.

Loadinglorryaftersunsetisriskyas

tere are o igts.

Theftofsugarcanefromthe

sugarcae ceter.

Irregularityinweighingofsugarcane.

10. Uoadig at

sugar factor

(October-Marc)

Gateentryoflorryatthefactorygate.

Parkingundertheunloadingbay.

Grippingofsugarcanebygripper

beig operated b crae operator.

Releasingofsugarcaneontheloader

for sreddig.

Maintenanceofcraneandgripper.

Efcientandalertstaffatthefactory

gate.

Efcientsecuritypersonnelforquick

uoadig of sugarcae orries.

Expertcraneoperatorforquick

oadig of sugarcae oto te oader.

Adultmaleworkersareengagedfor

te operatio.

Educatedstaffattheweighingscale.

Movementofloadedandunloaded

orries aroud te oadig ba is ver

ris.

Craneoperatorisprecariously

situated atop te cabi (40-foot

eigt).

Freemovementofgrippercancause

serious ijur.


22/52


www.fairlabor.org


ASSOCIATED RISkS

1. lad preparatio

(AugustOctober)

Ploughingtoloosenthesoiltoadepth

of 18-24 ices ad destro eeds,

grasses ad roots of te recet-

arvested crop.

Useoftractorsbymediumandlarge

farmers, ad ox or buffao b sma

farmers.

Afterproperploughing,planking

(leveling)isdonetoclosetheeld

ad retai its moisture ti te time of

soig.

Sowingisnormallydonetwo-three

ees after pougig, depedig o

eater coditios ad avaiabiit

ofseeds,fertilizers,equipmentand

abor. hoes are used for maua

soig.

Knowledgeofhandling,maintenance

ad repair of tractors ad agricutura

equipment.

Knowledgeofharnessingdraughtaimas.

Knowledgeofcontouringoflandfor

proper draiage ad to prevet ater-

oggig ad soi erosio.

Knowledgeofgoodseeds,correct

use of fertiizer, ad eater patters.

Childrenandwomendonotgenerally

pa a roe i te preparatio of

ad. Te sma farmers prepare

te ad temseves it te ep

of ox or buffao. hadig aimas isdangerousattimesastheyarequite

upredictabe.

Smallandmedium-sizefarmerscan

aso ire tractors, drive b sied

drivers, to prepare te ad ad

pa te estabised rate per acre.

Caces of accidet ad ijur are

commo ie adig macier or

tractorequipment.

Medium-sizefarmersmayalsodrive

teir o tractors for preparig ad

for soig.

Mediumandlargefarmersemploy

drivers to operate teir tractors. hig

possibiit of accidet ie drivig te

tractor. Abseteeism b driver coud

cause dea i ad preparatio.

2. Patig seeds

(August-October)

Harrowingtheeldwithtractor,

buffao or ox ad maig furros.

Droppingsetts(sugarcaneseeds)

maua or troug seed dri i

sige or doube ros.

Anexperiencedpersonwhocan

mae furros i proper ros it te

ridger attaced beid te tractor.

Askillfulpersonwhocanharnessthe

draugt aima to mae furros.

Knowledgeofgoodqualityseed.

Skillincuttingsettsofpropersizefor

seed patig.

Familiesofsmallholdingsare

ivoved i soig activities.

Soig resposibiities aregive to

a cotractor o a estabised rate

per acre. he egages is fami

members, reatives ad eigbors.

hirig ome ad cidre is ver

commo.

Childrenareexposedtogreatrisks

ie cuttig seeds it macetes.


exposure to su.

3. Fertiizer

appicatio

(August-October)

Basa Dose

(October-

December)

Top Dressig

(August-September)

Secod Dose

(Jauar-

Februar)

Tird dose

(Apri-Ma)

Fourt dose,

optioa

(Ju-August)

Basaldoseoffertilizersand

cemicas appied troug a seed-dri

or maua.

Differentkindsoffertilizersaremixed

ontheeldandlledinindividual

bags for broad-castig.

Plankingisdoneimmediately

to prevet seed damage due to

exposure to eat or cod. Fertilizersfortop-dressingsarealso

prepared simiar.

Knowledgeoffertilizers,pesticides

ad isecticides is ver importat.

Skillinoperatingaseed-drillattached

to te tractor.

Fertilizermixingandbroad-casting

requirespropertechnique.

Childrenandwomenarenot

egaged i broadcastig fertiizers

or operatig seed-dris; oever,


i te operatios. Teir age caot



Operatorsgetinjuredwhilehandling

seed-dris.

Mixingandbroadcastingfertilizers

itout usig PPE is azardous to

eat.

Exposuretosunisahealthhazard.

Weightofbagscausesstrainon

souder ad bac.

5.8 Task and Risk Mapping of sugaRcane pRoducTion in souTH india


23/52


www.fairlabor.org


ASSOCIATED RISkS

4. Irrigatio

1st aterig

(October-

november)

2d aterig(Jauar-

Februar)

3rd aterig

(Apri-Ma)

4t aterig, rai

suppemetig

(Ju-August)

5t aterig

(October-

november)

6t aterig, for

ate arvestig

(Jauar-

Februar)

Irrigatingeitherthroughcanalortube-

e bore.

Monitoringavailabilityofcanalwater.

Repairingtube-wellmotorandpump.

Arrangingdieselfortherunningof

fue-ru tube-es.

Repairingtractors.

Requestingruralelectricity

departmet for supp of eectricit to

operat pumps.

Makingtemporarydrainsandcheck-

as for caeizig ater-usig for

caeizig ater usig oes.

Knowledgeofoperatingtube-well.

Knowledgeofplumbing.

Knowledgeofelectricalrepairs.

Knowledgeofrepairsand

maiteace of pumps.

Knowledgeofoperatingtractors.

Drainingexcesswater.

Childrenandwomengenerallyarenot

ivoved i tese activities. hoever,


i te operatios; teir age caot

be ascertaied, as tere are o


Riskofelectricshockswhenworking

aroud ater ad eectricit.

Drinkinggroundwaterwithout

treatmet.

Wateringtheelds,especiallyat

igt, exposes orers to te ris of

sae ad scorpio bites ad id

aimas.

Riskofheat,dehydration,and

exposure to su.

Riskofgettinginjuredwhileworking

it a oe.

Blistersonpalmsasaresultof

cotiuous use of oe.

Strainonbackandshouldersfrom

usig oe.

5. Rougig/

had-eedig

(november-

Jauar)

Removalofgrassandweedsby

ad.

Cuttingunwantedweedsandgrasses

it sices.

Peeling-offunwantedweedsand

grasses it oes.

Knowledgeofunwantedgrassesand

eeds.

Usingsicklesandhoes.

Children,womenandyoung

orers are at times egaged i

te operatios, but teir age caot

be ascertaied, as tere are o


Usingsicklesandhoescancause

ijuries.

Walkingwithoutshoesexposes

orers to saebites ad scorpiobites.


6. Tig peripera

ros of

sugarcae

(December/

Jauar)

Peripheralrowsaretiedassugarcane

gais eigt; oterise, i ater-

ogged areas, sugarcae toppes

eve it a gete breeze.

Tyingthesugarcaneatthe

appropriate eigt.

Decidingthenumberofcanesthat

eed to be tied togeter.

Onlyadultworkersengaged.

Oftenstoolsandladdersareusedfor

tig at iger eves.

Dangeroffallingoffthestoolsor

adders.

Razor-sharpleavesofsugarcanecut

ads ad egs.

Exposuretosnakebites,scorpion

bitesandinsectsintheelds.



24/52


www.fairlabor.org


ASSOCIATED RISkS

7. harvestig pat

(October-

Februar)

Ratua or Ratoon

(Marc-May)

Harvestinginsmalllandholdings

doe maua b fami members.

Contractorsarrangedbythesugar

factor, but paid b te farmers do

arvestig.

Sugarcaneisrstcutwiththe

macete just above te surface of te

soi.

Sugarcaneisthencleanedwith

sices.

Cleanedsugarcaneisthentiedin

budes.

Laddersforloadingsugarcaneon

orr.

OnlyinGujarattheeldisrstburnt

ad te arvested, but o budig is

doe ad oose sugarcae is oaded

i orries/buoc carts.

Greenstalksofsugarcanearetied

ad tae b orers to teir catte.

Bundledsugarcaneisloadedontothe

orr.

Lorrymaintenance.

Stayinginmake-shiftsheltersinthe

elds.

Cuttingsugarcanebymachetesatthe

base just above te surface of te soi

is a speciaized job.

Skilledworkerisabletocutenough

sugarcae for ceaig b oter

orers.

Tyingsugarcaneneatlyinbundles

requiresskill.

Deftlyloadingbundlesofsugarcane

oto orr.

Makingtemporarysheltersforthe

famiies.

Goodskillrequiredforwalkingupthe

adder it bude of sugarcae o

ead..


eve cidre arvest sugarcae.


cidre cea sugarcae it sices.

Maleandfemaleworkersmakebudes ad oad tem o orries ad

buoc-carts.

Usingmachetesandsicklescanlead

to severe cuts.

BundlingandloadingwithoutPPE

ca cause ijur.

Workinginsugarcaneeldsexposes

orers to saebites, scorpio bites,

isect bites.


Burningeldssometimescauses

burs to te orer.

Sometimescaneissmolderingatthe

time of arvest, causig burs to te

orers.

Stayingintemporarysheltersexposes

orers to id aimas.

Havinginfantsandsmallchildrenin

arvestig areas is ver ris.

Makeshiftattachedkitchenalongside

eachshelterposesgreatriskofre.

Climbingaladderwithsugarcane

budes is ver ris.

8. Trasportig

sugarcae fromfarm to sugar mi

(October-mid-

Ma)

Contractlabortransferssugarcane

fromeldtolorry.

Transporterslaborstackssugarcane

proper for maximum oadig.

Lorrymaintenance.

Expertinhandlingandloading

sugarcae.

Expertinmaximumloadingof

sugarcae i orr.

Expertintheuseofmachetes.

Maintenanceoflorry.

Cautiousindrivingover-loadedlorry

o poor roads troug viages.

Knowledgeofdirectandalternate

routesfromeldtothesugarmill.

Onlyadultmaleworkersengagedin

te operatios.

Goodlorrydriversfordrivingover-

oaded orries.

Driversoftendrinkalcohol,which

poses riss durig or.

9. Uoadig at

sugar factor

(October-Marc)

Gateentryoflorryatthefactorygate.

Parkingundertheunloadingbay.

Tyingbundlesofcanewithsteelwire.

Liftingandreleasingcaneonthe

oader for sreddig..

Efcientandalertstaffatthefactory

gate.

Efcientsecuritypersonnelforquickuoadig of cae orries.

Efcientandalertworkerfortying

budes of cae from orr.

Expertcraneoperatorforquick

oadig of cae oto te oader.

Adultmaleworkersareengagedfor

te operatio.

Trainedandeducatedstaffattheeigtig scae.

Movementofloadedandunloaded

orries aroud te oadig ba is ver

ris.

Craneoperatorisprecariously

positioed atop te cabi (40-foot

eigt).

Freemovementofgrippercancause

serious ijur.

Workerstyingcanebundlesare

cotiuous exposed to accidets.


25/52


www.fairlabor.org

5.9 Regional obseRVaTions

5.9.1 Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand, a newly-constituted state in the

northwest region o Uttar Pradesh, has an

area o 53,500 sq. km., o which 65 percent

is orestland. Its Terai region in the oothillso the Himalayas has one o the most ertile

lands in the country. As most o the state is

made up o hills and valleys, the total area

utilized or agriculture is about 24 perce

sugarcane production in india

Documents