Autumn Sugarcane Planting in Pakistan 2026: Punjab, Sindh and KP Dates and Fertiliser per Acre

Autumn sugarcane planting is in its last days across Pakistan. Punjab's Agriculture Department says any unfinished September planting should be completed quickly, Sindh's window ends with October in most cane districts, and KP plants autumn cane only in September. Punjab's main dose for September cane is 3.5 bags of urea, 2.5 of DAP and 2 of SOP an acre.

Autumn cane, planted in September and October, has more months in the ground before crushing than cane planted in spring, and it leaves room for a winter crop between the rows. But the window is short and the fertiliser bill is the biggest of any field crop. We read the advice of the three provincial agriculture departments on 20 October 2026 and put it side by side here.

Each province gives autumn cane a different window

Punjab's advisory for 16 to 31 October says to finish September planting quickly if it is not done. Sindh gives August to October in upper Sindh districts and August to September further south. KP's crop chart gives September only for autumn planting.

Sindh's table gives Hyderabad no autumn window at all. Its general crop note puts autumn planting across Sindh in September and October, with harvest from December to February. For anyone in lower Sindh reading this on 20 October, the honest answer is that the best autumn window has passed. Spring planting in February is the next chance.

Punjab sets 3.5 bags of urea and 2.5 of DAP an acre

For September cane on medium soil, Punjab's advisory gives two options. The first is 3.5 bags of urea, 2.5 of DAP and 2 of SOP, or 1.75 bags of MOP. The second is 4.5 bags of urea, 6.5 of SSP and 2 of SOP, or 1.75 of MOP, all per acre.

The timing matters as much as the amount. All the phosphorus and potash go in at planting, with a quarter of the nitrogen. A third of the remaining nitrogen goes in a month after planting. The rest goes in at the end of March and in April, when soil is pulled up around the plants.

At the national average prices for the week to 8 October 2026, the first option costs about Rs 90,392 an acre for the season. That is our arithmetic, using urea at Rs 4,779.51, DAP at Rs 17,127.78 and SOP at Rs 15,422.22 a bag, the urea and DAP prices for that week. The advisory also says to plant only varieties the department has approved, and to keep watering February-planted cane every 20 to 30 days.

KP splits cane fertiliser into four doses

KP's crop chart gives 1.5 bags of DAP and one bag of SOP at planting. Then one bag of urea at 4 to 5 weeks, one at 8 to 10 weeks, and one bag of urea with one of SOP at 14 to 16 weeks. That season's dose costs about Rs 70,875 an acre at October prices, on our arithmetic.

1. At planting: 1.5 bags of DAP and 1 bag of SOP.
2. After 4 to 5 weeks: 1 bag of urea.
3. After 8 to 10 weeks: 1 bag of urea.
4. After 14 to 16 weeks: 1 bag of urea and 1 bag of SOP.

The chart names seven varieties for KP: Abdul Qayyum 2017, Israr Shaheed SC, Mardan 2005, Mardan 93, CP-77/400, SPSG-394 and Mardan 92. It sets 100 to 120 maunds of cane an acre as seed. With chip bud planting, where single buds are cut out and raised first, it is 10 to 12 maunds, or 18,000 to 20,000 buds.

KP cane needs 16 to 20 waters a year

KP's chart gives 16 to 20 irrigations through the year, closer together in the heat. The gap is 12 to 14 days in March and April, 8 to 10 days in May and June, and 25 to 30 days in November and December. Water stops 20 to 25 days before harvest.

July and August get a 10 to 15 day gap, and September and October 15 to 20 days. Stopping water before harvest is not a waste. It lets the sugar build up in the stalk, which is what the mill pays for. The chart also says to send cane to the mill straight after cutting, because cut cane loses weight and sugar while it waits.

Water is short this winter, so plan around the IRSA rabi water shares for your province.

Gram and canola can share a September cane field

Punjab's advisory says kabuli gram has done well as a mixed crop inside September cane, sown from 20 October to 10 November. Two lines of gram go on each bed where cane rows are four feet apart. It also says canola can be grown as a mixed crop in September cane.

That gives a cane grower some winter income before the cane itself pays. The seed rate for gram inside cane is 15 to 20 kg an acre. The full dates are in our pages on gram sowing in Punjab and the canola sowing window.

The price side is still open. Growers want a higher cane rate before crushing starts, as set out in our report on the sugarcane farmers' demand.

Common questions

When is autumn sugarcane planted in Punjab?

In September. Punjab's advisory for 16 to 31 October says growers who have not finished should complete it quickly.

What fertiliser does September sugarcane need in Punjab?

3.5 bags of urea, 2.5 of DAP and 2 of SOP an acre on medium soil, or 4.5 of urea, 6.5 of SSP and 2 of SOP.

When is autumn sugarcane planted in Sindh?

August to October in Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur and Naushahro Feroze, August to September in Nawabshah, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Badin and Thatta, and October in Dadu.

How much seed cane is needed per acre in KP?

100 to 120 maunds of cane, or 10 to 12 maunds for chip bud planting.

When should irrigation stop before cutting sugarcane?

KP's chart says 20 to 25 days before harvest.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We read the Punjab Agriculture Department advisory for 16 to 31 October 2026, listed on its crop advisory page, the Sindh Agriculture Department's sowing period tables, and the KP Agriculture Department's crop chart on 20 October 2026. The Punjab and KP documents are Urdu images, which we read and translated ourselves. Costs are our arithmetic at Pakistan Bureau of Statistics averages for 8 October 2026. Punjab's advisory does not name its approved varieties, and we could not reach its variety list.