As indicated in the above rankings, it is evident that access to water is a critical element that influences production of sugarcane in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In particular, it is evident that many of the areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are arid or semi-arid7. This implies that farmers within the country who intends to engage in sugarcane farming must seek ways of accessing water for irrigation which is not always easy. Equally it is evident that even access to inputs and labor is a challenge in sugarcane production within the region. Farmers would like to put the bigger part of their farms in the production. Moreover, even with enhanced production capabilities, it is clear that farming of sugarcanes will not be sustainable if the prices are too low. In order for individuals to engage in successful sugar cane farming, it there is a need for attractive profit margins. It is worth noting that during the peak periods, labor shortage was a big problem. Farmers rely on casual laborers to assist in the harvesting process. They thus need to have adequate cash to ensure that they can harvest the products on time and deliver top the market.
In sugarcane production, it is evident that the use of the right production process will dictate the success of sugar production within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. For instance, a study was carried out on the intercropping of sugarcane with other products such as Canola in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa3. Intercropping of sugarcane with other products should be done in the right way if the productivity of firms is to be sustained. Different forms of canes were assessed on basis of their length and diameter when intercropped with Canola. Cane length is a key determinant of success in the production process. It was evident that sugar cane length was enhanced when sugarcanes were grown without intercropping. When sugarcane is intercropped with too many other plants, their length and quality gets affected. This has the potential of cutting the overall level of returns that farmers realize through sugarcane farming. It is thus recommended that farmers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should set aside separate rows where sugarcanes are grown on their own as opposed to intercropping. More over availability of water and fertilizers equally positively enhances the girth and length of sugarcanes8.
Price of sugar and availability of the market for sugar will be a key determinant of success in sugarcane farming within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Despite increasing export subsidies for sugar that are aimed at boosting sugar cane and sugar production in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it is clear that there is still low level of sugar that is currently being exported. It is one million metric tons of sugar that are currently exported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to other countries. In 2018/2019 year, the stock of sugar for export in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was projected to be 4.7 million metric tons. The implication is that there is still high demand for sugar in the market yet farmers have not been in a position to meet these demands due to the existence of multiple constrains in the production process. It is worth noting that challenges are not just in the production process. There have been significant delays in the payment of sugar farmers. Such farmers rely on such payments in preparation for the incoming season. When the payment is delayed, the farmers are thus not able to prepare their farms on time something that hinders the attainment of a smooth production cycle.