Kanpur/Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh: In a major step to enhance sugarcane productivity and improve farmers’ income, the National Sugar Institute (NSI), Kanpur, and Uttar Pradesh Council of Sugarcane Research (UPCSR), Shahjahanpur, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The agreement aims to increase the availability of breeder seed cane for farmers across the state.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Uttar Pradesh’s Minister of Sugarcane Development & Sugar Industry, Lakshmi Narayan Chaudhary, at his office in Vidhan Bhawan, Lucknow. Prof. (Dr.) Seema Paroha, Director of NSI, and V.K. Shukla, Director of UPCSR, represented their respective institutions,
Under the agreement, NSI will utilize its 52 acres of agricultural land for breeder seed cane production. Of this, 20 acres will be dedicated to autumn planting and the remaining for spring planting. In the next phase, NSI will expand its farm operations further to enhance seed cane output, according to the sugarcane department press release.
UPCSR will provide NSI with improved cane varieties at the breeder level, at a predetermined price, for nursery development. In addition, its scientists will carry out regular field inspections and extend free technical guidance. The produced breeder seed cane will be allocated at fixed rates.
The minister highlighted that NSI officials and staff will also receive free training from UPCSR to ensure proper management and production of healthy, high-quality breeder seeds. He added that the initiative is expected to generate around 15,000 quintals of additional breeder seed every year, significantly benefiting cane growers in Uttar Pradesh.
“This collaboration will not only strengthen trust between two premier institutions but also accelerate technology transfer. Farmers in the state will gain access to quality seed cane, which will boost sugarcane productivity, improve their incomes, and enhance the competitiveness of the sugar industry,” the minister said.
