New Delhi: In a significant step toward strengthening India’s sugarcane economy, Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that a dedicated team will be established within the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for Sugarcane Research and policy formulation.
The announcement was made at a national seminar on the sugarcane economy, jointly organized by Rural Voice, the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories, and ICAR.
Focus on Sugarcane Research and Policy
Chouhan stated that the new ICAR team will exclusively work on Sugarcane Research, with a dual objective of addressing farmers’ challenges and supporting industry needs.
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He emphasized that research must focus on practical issues such as crop diseases, sustainable cultivation, cost reduction, and mechanization to ensure long-term growth of the sugarcane sector.
Highlighting the vulnerabilities of sugarcane variety 238, which despite its high sugar content is susceptible to red rot disease, the Minister stressed the urgency of developing resistant alternatives.
He also pointed to the risks of monocropping, which leads to soil nutrient depletion and restricted nitrogen fixation, suggesting that intercropping with pulses and oilseeds could offer sustainable solutions.
Water Management and Sustainability
Water conservation was another key concern raised by the Minister. “Sugarcane consumes large quantities of water. Under the principle of ‘per drop, more crop,’ we must reduce water dependency through modern irrigation methods,” he said.
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While drip irrigation is effective, Chouhan acknowledged the financial burden on farmers and called for strategies that balance efficiency with affordability.
The Minister also underlined the importance of diversifying sugarcane by-products. While ethanol and molasses are well established, he urged researchers and industry stakeholders to develop new value-added bioproducts to increase farmers’ income.
ICAR’s Roadmap for Sugarcane Research
ICAR Director General and DARE Secretary Dr M L Jat identified four core areas for sugarcane-focused research:
- Defining research priorities.
- Addressing developmental challenges.
- Tackling industry-related issues.
- Recommending policy measures to strengthen the sector.
He stressed that improving fertilizer efficiency and promoting micro-irrigation practices, such as those successfully adopted in Maharashtra, would be critical in ensuring sustainability.
Sugarcane Research: Varietal Development and Yield Gap
ICAR Deputy Director General of Crop Science, Dr Devendra Kumar Yadav, highlighted the challenges posed by sugarcane variety 238, which encouraged monocropping despite initial acceptance among farmers.
He explained that introducing new sugarcane varieties is a lengthy process requiring three years of rigorous testing for disease resistance and yield stability. Bridging the yield gap, he said, remains essential for the sector’s progress.
The seminar also featured contributions from Dr Rajbir Singh, DDG Extension at ICAR, who chaired one of the technical sessions, ensuring that farmer-centric recommendations are prioritized.
