Sugar industry
Topic: Manufacturing Industries of India: Location and Distribution · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 6 "Manufacturing Industries"
Meaning
The sugar industry crushes sugarcane to make sugar. Cane is bulky, and it loses sucrose, its sugar content, while it is being transported. So mills are built close to the cane fields. This is called raw-material orientation. Crushing happens only for part of the year, so the work is seasonal and suits cooperatives. India is the world's second-largest sugar producer after Brazil, and it has at times been first (verify current). It ranks first in gur and khandsari, which are traditional unrefined sugars.
Example
About sixty per cent of mills are in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The industry is now moving to Maharashtra, Karnataka and the south for three reasons:
- The cane there has more sucrose.
- A cooler climate gives a longer crushing season.
- Cooperatives work better there.
Don't confuse with
- Footloose industry: this can locate almost anywhere. Sugar is tied to its raw material, so calling it footloose is a common exam trap.