Shahid Afghan, Asif Tanveer and Muhammad Ehsan Khan
Sugarcane Research and Development Board (SRDB), Ayub Agri. Research Institute, Jhang Road, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan; ceo.srdb@gmail.com, shahid.afghan@gmail.com
Sugarcane is a cash crop that supports Pakistan’s economy and food security. This paper presents a historical perspective of the sugarcane industry over the past 75 years, from Pakistan’s independence in 1947 to the present day. The sector has made noteworthy progress, including the development of new cane varieties, improvements in production, adoption of sustainable farming practices, and significant overall industry growth. This paper emphasizes the sector’s importance to the national economy and analyzes the impact of government policies, research efforts, and technological advancements. Since 2000, productivity gains in Pakistan’s sugar industry have outpaced global averages. Pakistan is now a leading producer of refined cane sugar, achieving one of the highest sugar production indices worldwide while becoming increasingly efficient and sustainable. Key challenges that continue to hinder the sector’s full potential, such as fluctuating production levels, water scarcity, pest and disease management, market instability, price volatility, technological gaps, and research needs, are all focused on in this paper. Despite these impediments, the outlook highlights water conservation, diversification, and institutional strengthening. A strong focus on sustainability, technological adoption, and policy support is recommended to sustain growth and maximize the sector’s economic contribution. Finally, this paper analyses Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of the sugarcane sector in Pakistan, providing strategic views concerning its productive, competitive, and efficiency potentials on a global scale.