A senior official from Andhra Pradesh has stressed the need to develop and introduce improved sugarcane varieties to help farmers increase yields and tackle crop diseases, The Hindu reported.
Speaking at a stakeholder workshop titled “Sugar Industry in South India: Present Challenge and Future Roadmap,” V. Venkata Rao, Director of Sugar and Cane Commissioner said many of the current sugarcane varieties are vulnerable to diseases and need to be replaced with better options.
He said trials of new varieties should be carried out directly in farmers’ fields to ensure better results. He also called for faster multiplication of seeds so that improved varieties can reach farmers more quickly.
Rao added that farmers are also looking for varieties that can be harvested before Pongal, allowing them to better plan their cropping cycles.
