ICAR launches special research initiative to address declining sugarcane productivity in Western Uttar Pradesh
ICAR selected Baghpat’s Sugarcane Centre of Excellence to investigate declining sugarcane productivity in western Uttar Pradesh. Scientists will identify causes, develop solutions, and promote modern farming through outreach and coordination with mills, aiming to boost yields, sustainability, and farmer incomes.
Lucknow: In a major step aimed at reversing the decline in sugarcane production and productivity in western Uttar Pradesh, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has selected the Sugarcane Centre of Excellence at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Baghpat, to undertake a special research and solution-development programme.
The initiative follows efforts by Rajkumar Sangwan, who raised concerns with ICAR over the steady decline in sugarcane yields in the region over the past several years. He warned that continued deterioration in productivity could adversely affect farmers’ incomes as well as the agricultural economy of the state.
Responding to the concerns, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology have entrusted the Baghpat-based Sugarcane Centre of Excellence with a detailed scientific study to identify the causes behind falling sugarcane production.
As part of the project, sugarcane scientist Dr. Vikas Kumar has been tasked with conducting an in-depth investigation into the factors affecting productivity and developing research-based recommendations to address the problem.
Sangwan has also called for large-scale farmer outreach programmes to promote the adoption of modern agricultural practices. He suggested organising training camps, farmer meetings, field demonstrations and awareness campaigns to ensure that growers are equipped with the latest scientific knowledge and cultivation techniques.
The MP further stressed the need for stronger coordination between the sugarcane department, agricultural institutions and sugar mills to ensure that modern technologies and research findings reach farmers directly at the field level.
Expressing confidence in the initiative, Sangwan said that scientific intervention, wider dissemination of advanced farming practices and timely solutions to farmers’ challenges could help halt the decline in sugarcane productivity while ensuring sustainable growth in farm incomes.
The programme is expected to benefit millions of sugarcane growers across western Uttar Pradesh, a region that plays a crucial role in the state’s sugar industry.
Officials and scientists associated with the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, including Dr. Lakshmikant and Dr. Vikas Kumar, along with local farmers, welcomed the decision and described it as an important step towards strengthening sugarcane cultivation and improving the long-term prospects of the sector in the state.
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Source : ChiniMandi
