The state sugarcane commissioner has instructed district cane officers, sugar mill representatives, and cane development councils across Uttar Pradesh to conduct a comprehensive survey to identify diseases affecting sugarcane crops. This directive comes after massive infestation of red rot disease during the 2024-25 crushing season, which led to a decline in cane supply to mills, reduced crushing volumes, and ultimately impacted both sugar production and recovery rates, reported The Times of India.
On Wednesday, Cane Commissioner Ministhy S. stated that, in addition to red rot, the cane crop in many pockets of the state is affected by root rot and root borer, along with infestations of white grub and whitefly due to waterlogging during the monsoon. Officials have been told to provide crop protection advice, essential pesticides, and other chemicals at farmers’ doorsteps across the state.
In 2024-25, the sugarcane area under cultivation was 29.5 lakh hectares. During this period, the state’s 122 sugar mills crushed 956.09 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of cane, a drop from 981.86 LMT in 2023-24, largely due to the red rot outbreak.
This disease also caused the average sugar recovery rate to fall from 10.6% in 2023-24 to 9.7% in 2024-25, resulting in a decrease in total sugar output from 104.13 LMT to 92.45 LMT.
To combat the issue, scientists from the Sugarcane Research Institute and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) have been assigned to monitor field conditions and educate farmers on disease prevention through village-level outreach.
