Kolhapur: Kolhapur District Central Cooperative (KDCC) Bank chairman and minister Hasan Mushrif has warned that the sugar industry could collapse if sugarcane productivity is not doubled within the next two years, reports The Times of India.
Speaking at the bank’s annual general meeting, Mushrif urged farmers to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) in sugarcane farming to boost output. He pointed to the example of farmers in Baramati, who, with the help of AI, have raised productivity to 125 tonnes per acre, compared to the 25–30 tonnes typically produced in Kolhapur.
To support this shift, KDCC Bank has decided to cover the costs of Vasantdada Sugar Institute, Baramati’s Krishi Vigyan Kendra, and sugar mills to promote AI technology among farmers. The bank also plans to raise crop loan amounts to help farmers access the new tools.
Mushrif highlighted broader challenges facing the sector. He noted that the minimum selling price of sugar has not been revised, restrictions remain on ethanol production, and the government no longer needs electricity from sugar mills’ co-generation plants.
“With these limitations, the only way forward is to run sugar mills for six months a year instead of three. To achieve this, productivity must rise from the current 25–30 tonnes to at least 60 tonnes per acre,” Mushrif said.
