Key Points

New Delhi [India], September 30 (ANI): The Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, and Rural Development Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on Tuesday, announced the formation of a dedicated team within the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) focused on sugarcane research in India.

This announcement was made during a national discussion on the sugarcane economy, which was organised by Rural Voice and the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories in collaboration with ICAR. According to Chouhan, this team will focus on the sugarcane policy of India.

During the discussion, Chouhan highlighted that sugarcane variety 238 has shown good sugar content but is vulnerable to red rot disease. Hence, the Union Minister emphasised the need to work simultaneously on developing alternatives. He further highlighted that controlling diseases is a critical challenge, as new varieties of sugarcane often come with new disease risks.

While discussing the varieties of Sugarcane crops, the Union Minister pointed out that monocropping leads to multiple problems, which include nutrient depletion and limitations in nitrogen fixation. Thus, the possibility of replacing mono-cropping with intercropping requires careful assessment.

"We are aware of the challenges. We must focus on increasing production and mechanisation, reducing costs, and improving sugar recovery. Water use is a serious concern. Under the principle of 'per drop, more crop,' we need strategies to reduce water requirements. At the same time, we must consider the financial burden on farmers, since drip irrigation involves significant costs," said Chouhan.

The Minister also stressed the importance of bioproducts. He noted that while ethanol and molasses have well-established uses, new value-added products need to be developed to increase farmers' profits. He also underlined the potential of natural farming to help reduce fertiliser dependency.

But Chouhan also acknowledged the issues around the sugar value chain and stated that farmers' grievances about delayed payments are genuine. According to Chouhan, while sugar mills face their own difficulties, farmers continue to remain at a disadvantage due to the delay in payments.

Additionally, he also highlighted the shortage of agricultural labour. To make sugarcane harvesting less labour-intensive, Chouhan suggested training, capacity building, and innovations in mechanisation.

"I urge ICAR to form a separate team for sugarcane research, focusing on practical issues. Research must benefit both farmers and industry. Research that does not serve farmers is meaningless," he stated.

Meanwhile, at the seminar, ICAR Director General and DARE Secretary Dr ML Jat outlined four key areas that research needs to address: defining research priorities, identifying developmental challenges to advance research, tackling industry-related issues, and recommending policy steps to support the sector.

According to Dr Jat, sugarcane requires high amounts of water and fertiliser. Hence, to address water scarcity, several studies have been carried out, and micro-irrigation practices, such as those adopted in Maharashtra, offer promising solutions. He added that since current fertiliser usage is inefficient, an improvement in fertiliser efficiency is essential.

Moreover, Dr Jat further emphasised the need to diversify crops to mitigate the risks associated with monocropping. According to the ICAR Director, integrating pulses and oilseeds with sugarcane would not only boost productivity but also increase farmers' income and strengthen sustainability.

Dr Devendra Kumar Yadav, Deputy Director General of Crop Science at ICAR, explained that sugarcane variety 238 was initially welcomed by farmers but eventually encouraged monocropping. He clarified that although there are alternatives, new varieties take time to be adopted. Each variety undergoes three years of testing to monitor disease, insect resistance, and yield. According to him, analysing the yield gap is critical for most crops. He assured that the seminar's recommendations would be carefully considered to address farmers' concerns.

Earlier, the Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) urged the government to revise the Minimum Selling Price (MSP) of sugar to at least Rs 40.2 per kilogram, around Rs 9 up from the current level for the 2025-26 sugar season, Deepak Ballani, Director General of ISMA, said in a statement."

- ANI