Cane institute asks farmers to cultivate new varieties

The Sugarcane Breeding Institute (SBI), Coimbatore, has urged farmers in the State to cultivate three new tropical sugarcane varieties introduced by it recently to increase production.

Inaugurating the 45 meeting of the Sugarcane Research and Development Workers of Tamil Nadu & Puducherry, organised by the SBI and Kothari Sugars and Chemicals Limited here, N.Vijayan Nair, Director, SRI, Coimbatore, said that the varieties such as Co0403, Co06027, and Co06030 would be highly suitable for Tamil Nadu. They had been tested in different locations of the country including Tamil Nadu. The trial cultivation of them had given high yield than some of the earlier varieties. Though the institute had distributed seeds of newly notified varieties to a group of farmers, there was a need to grow nurseries in large numbers to improve their popularity among farmers. Hence, sugarcane factories should take steps to raise nurseries with the help of farmers in their cover areas. The sugar industry should take a lead role in popularising the varieties, he said.

Emphasising the need for adapting modern technologies, Mr.Nair said farmers should come out of their age-old traditional practices. If they followed new methods, prescribed by the research agencies and institutes, they could improve productivity with less water and efficient pest management .

M.Silvester, president, (Operations), Kothari Sugars and Chemicals Limited, said that Rangarajan Committee’s recommendation of sharing 70 per cent of the total revenue from sugar, molasses, and other related products as cane payment was a forward step that could save the sinking sugar industry. Since the major sugar producing neighbouring States had already adopted this policy, it was high time the Tamil Nadu government too announce a similar policy. With this arrangement, farmers would be assured of Fair and Remunerative Prices (FRP) fixed by the Central government. It would also guarantee a minimum return to them, he said.

It was essential to introduce mechanisation in all activities right from soil preparation to harvest in order to reduce the dependence of labour and cost. The entire farming practices were needed to be modified to suit mechanisation, Mr.Silvester said.

N.Prabhakar, president, South Indian Sugarcane and Sugar Technologists’ Association, Chennai, and A.Sankaralingam, Additional Director of Sugar, Government of Tamil Nadu, spoke.