A word of caution to sugar industry

September 16, 2016 02:29 pm | Updated November 01, 2016 06:57 pm IST - BELAGAVI:

Vice-Chancellor of University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad, D.P. Biradar sounded a word of cautiou to the sugar industry, advising the latter to make every possible effort to promote alternative crops to sugarcane to keep their mills running.

“Mark my words today, if you do not promote alternate crops such as sweet sorghum and sugar beet (which also produce ethanol), different varieties with different maturity periods and extend the benefits of research and development to the growers to improve their productivity, then you will see majority of traditional sugarcane growers switching over to other potential crops in next five to ten years.”

Inaugurating the two-day meeting of “Sugarcane R&D Workers” organised jointly by S. Nijalingappa Sugar Institute (SNSI), Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore and UAS at SNSI here on Friday, he warned the sugar industry not to expect any support either from the centre of state government for research and development endeavours for the fact that government strongly believed that it could not support R&D programmes for the benefit of private commercial establishments.

But, the irony is that the industry was not coming forward even to take advantage of available R&D innovations and achievements for reasons best known to it. Even not many students in universities were inclined to do research on long-duration crop like sugarcane. Already, lot of support and R&D activities were going to promote short-duration crops, which was bound to attract more farmers to switch over from sugarcane to other crops in next five to ten years, he said.

Bakshi Ram, Director ICAR-SBI, who reserved his views for various scientific/technical sessions, observed that sugarcane productivity in North Karnataka region had been virtually stagnant with an average yield of 90 tonnes per hectare and average sugar recovery of 11% during last five years due to use of same old sugarcane varieties. The industry need to promote latest varieties yielding at least 10% more and with improve sugar recovery.

He also stressed on managing saline-alkali soils to boost sugarcane productivity, besides suggesting balanced use of fertilizers for the crop.

Joint Director of Agriculture V.J. Patil pointed out that available pesticides in the market had proved to be less effective in controlling white grub pest which caused yield loss by 5%-6% to the growers. He stressed on improving productivity, besides adopting inter-cropping, drip irrigation/micro irrigation systems and mechanised harvesting interventions.

SNSI Vice-Chairman Jagadeesh S. Gundagunti, who is also Chairman and Managing Director of the Sri Phabhulingeshwar Sugars & Chemicals Limited, Siddapur, spoke about the issues concerning the industry. SNSI Director Khandagave also stressed that the sugar industry take up R&D programmes if it wanted to sustain in the future.

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