In a move to boost sugarcane productivity and curb crop losses, Uttar Pradesh has replaced 12.38 lakh hectares of the disease-susceptible sugarcane variety Co.0238 with improved, resilient varieties over the past four years.
To protect the red rot disease-susceptible sugarcane variety Co.0238, preventive measures like uprooting and destroying the plants affected by red rot, treating the soil of the affected area with a solution of chemicals like fungicide Hexastop, use of healthy seeds, seed treatment, and adopting crop rotation have been implemented. For effective control and prevention of diseases, crop inspection and necessary advisories have been issued from time to time by a team of scientists, informed Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ramnath Thakur in Lok Sabha.
He said, “In addition, for the phased replacement of the sugarcane variety Co.0238, the varieties developed by the U.P. Sugarcane Research Council, Shahjahanpur; the Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow; and the Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Karnal—namely CoSha 13235, CoSha 17231, CoSha 18231, CoLk 14201, CoLk 16202, CoLk 15466, Co 15023, Co 0118, CoSha 19231, and CoSe 17451—are being promoted to replace and balance the disease-susceptible variety. During the past four years, 12.38 lakh hectares of the affected variety Co.0238 have already been substituted with other varieties.”
Further, to address the problem of floods and waterlogging, high-level weekly reviews were conducted at the level of the Additional Chief Secretary, and teams comprising field-level officers, scientists, and sugar mill staff were constituted to inspect the affected areas and issue advisories. Using 391 drones, pesticide spraying was carried out over 38,359 hectares of sugarcane area in the affected regions.
He highlighted that there are a total of 47.34 lakh sugarcane-supplying farmers in the State of Uttar Pradesh. According to the Indian Sugarcane Research Institute, Lucknow, their net income from sugarcane cultivation is ₹53,530 per hectare on Cost C2 (Actual paid out expenses + rent paid for leased-in land + Family labour + Imputed rent and interest on own land + Fixed Assets) basis and ₹1,55,949 per hectare on Cost A1 (Actual paid out expenses) basis.
“During the last 5 years, only 2 sugar mills, namely Kaptanganj (Kushinagar) and Satha (Aligarh), remained closed in the State of Uttar Pradesh due to non-availability of sugarcane. In the current crushing season, only 6,372 hectares have been affected by red rot disease, and 71,285 hectares have been affected by floods and waterlogging,” he further added.
