Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday announced that a separate team will be established within the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for sugarcane research and policy development.
Speaking at a national seminar on the sugarcane economy – jointly organised by Rural Voice, the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories, and ICAR – Singh said the new initiative would focus on practical issues facing farmers and the sugar industry.
The Minister highlighted that while sugarcane variety 238 has shown high sugar content, it remains vulnerable to red rot disease, underscoring the need for developing resilient alternatives. He warned against the risks of monocropping, pointing to soil nutrient depletion and reduced nitrogen fixation, and suggested exploring intercropping with pulses and oilseeds.
Singh also stressed the need to boost mechanization and lower production costs; improve sugar recovery rates; adopt efficient irrigation techniques under the “per drop, more crop” principle; promote bioproducts and value addition, beyond ethanol and molasses; and explore natural farming to reduce fertilizer dependency.
Acknowledging farmers’ long-standing grievances over delayed payments, Singh called for reforms in the sugar value chain, noting that while mills face difficulties, farmers remain disproportionately impacted. He also flagged the shortage of agricultural labour, urging training, capacity building, and mechanization to ease the burden of harvesting.
“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,” Singh said.
ICAR Director General and DARE Secretary Dr. M.L. Jat outlined four key research priorities: setting research agendas, tackling developmental and industry challenges, and recommending policy measures. He emphasized the urgent need to improve fertilizer efficiency, scale up micro-irrigation practices, and diversify crops to strengthen sustainability and farmer incomes.
Dr. Devendra Kumar Yadav, Deputy Director General (Crop Science), noted that although variety 238 was initially popular, it promoted monocropping risks. He stressed the importance of three-year testing cycles for new varieties and the need to analyze yield gaps.
The seminar, which also featured insights from Dr. Rajbir Singh, DDG Extension at ICAR, concluded with an assurance that farmer-centric recommendations would be incorporated into future sugarcane research strategies.