Sugar industry seeks Rs 88-crore ICAR centre to develop climate-resilient, high-yielding sugarcane varieties
India’s sugar industry has proposed a Rs 87.94 crore Centre of Excellence at the ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute to develop climate-resilient, disease-resistant sugarcane varieties using advanced breeding technologies. The initiative aims to boost productivity, combat red rot disease, and benefit 55 million farmers.
New Delhi: India’s sugar industry has urged the Centre to establish a dedicated Centre of Excellence (CoE) for advanced sugarcane research at the ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore, aiming to accelerate the development of next-generation cane varieties and strengthen the long-term sustainability of the sector.
The proposal, jointly submitted by the Indian Sugar and Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association and the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, seeks an investment of Rs 87.94 crore over five years beginning in FY27.
According to industry sources, the proposed centre would focus on advanced sugarcane breeding technologies, including genome editing, climate-resilient crop development and modern seed systems, to address emerging challenges confronting the sugarcane sector, Business standard reported.
The initiative comes at a time when sugarcane cultivation is facing increasing pressure from climate variability, erratic rainfall patterns, rising production costs, pest attacks and disease outbreaks. These factors have contributed to stagnant productivity and affected farmer incomes in major cane-growing regions.
Industry representatives pointed out that India’s sugarcane yields have remained largely unchanged at around 80-83 tonnes per hectare, even as demand for cane has increased due to the growing diversion of sugar towards ethanol production.
A key concern highlighted in the proposal is the widespread incidence of red rot disease, one of the most damaging diseases affecting sugarcane. Scientists associated with the project believe advanced genome-editing technologies could help develop varieties with built-in resistance, offering a faster and more effective solution than conventional breeding methods.
The proposed Centre of Excellence is envisioned as a national platform for developing high-yielding, water-efficient and disease-tolerant sugarcane varieties. It would utilise modern tools such as genome sequencing, genome editing, phenomics, high-throughput breeding, bioinformatics and precision seed technologies.
The industry has also expressed concern over the heavy reliance on a limited number of sugarcane varieties, which has increased vulnerability to disease outbreaks and reduced resilience across major sugar-producing regions.
According to the proposal, the initiative could directly benefit nearly 55 million sugarcane farmers by boosting productivity, reducing losses from climate and disease-related risks, improving resource-use efficiency and helping stabilise farm incomes.
Industry bodies believe the proposed research centre would play a crucial role in supporting India’s sugar and bioenergy sectors, while contributing to broader goals of agricultural sustainability, rural development and energy security.
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Source : ChiniMandi
