Sound advice from a fourth-generation sugar cane grower

Sugar cane farmer Pratish Sharma shares his practical insights with Octavia Avesca Spandiel on aspects like soil health, pests, irrigation, harvesting, and industry rules, offering useful guidance for anyone entering South Africa's highly regulated sugar industry.

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Fourth-generation sugar cane farmer Pratish Sharma is adamant that the first priority for anyone wanting to grow sugar cane is to learn what the crop is, and what conditions are required to grow it.

LEARNING THE BASICS

He explains that sugar cane requires the right balance of soil quality, moisture, sunlight and fertilisation.

“It’s quite simple, quite basic, but it’s the first thing you need to know. Sugar cane grows in soil, it needs moisture, and it requires fertilisation. We mainly use urea-based fertilisers.”

UNDERSTANDING THE INDUSTRY

Sharma says that technical knowledge alone is not enough; farmers must also grasp the structure of the industry. “The sugar industry is highly regulated, and even the way we get paid for the cane we produce is determined by legislation through the Sugar Industry Agreement.

“Anyone starting out needs to understand the rules of the game. You need to know who you are producing for, the quality you must achieve, and how to maximise your revenue.

“Too many growers don’t understand how the payment system works, and if you're in business for the long term, knowing how you get paid is the most important thing,” he says.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT VARIETY

South Africa has numerous sugar cane varieties, developed by the South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI), each bred with specific traits.

“There are varieties resistant to pests, others to certain diseases. Some perform better in wet valley conditions, while others thrive in drier, rocky, or sandy fields.