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Abstract
Sugarcane and its products accounted for 6 percent of the total value of agriculture output and occupied about 2.5 percent of India’s gross cropped area in 2014- 15. Sugarcane production achieved a record of 361 million tonnes in 2011-12 after which it declined to 341 million tonnes in 2012-13, then increased to 352 million tonnes in 2013-14 and further to 359 million tonnes in 2014-15. In Karnataka the Khandasari units require about 5.10 lakh tonnes cane and Jaggary making need another 37.51 lakh tonnes. The main economic factors which influence the sugar industry are the availability of raw materials, presence of skilled labour at an economic price, transportation facilities and proximity to the market. Karnataka is endowed with all these factories.