Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has stepped up efforts to strengthen sugarcane farming and sugar production in the state. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a key meeting was held chaired by Sugar Industry and Cane Development Minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary to discuss ways to increase productivity and modernise cane cultivation.
The meeting focused on promoting new, high-yielding sugarcane varieties, gradually replacing older low-yield varieties, adopting modern farming techniques, and improving overall cane and sugar output.
Tissue Culture to Ensure Better Seed Quality
A major outcome of the meeting was an agreement between Balrampur Chini Mills and the Uttar Pradesh Sugarcane Research Council, Shahjahanpur to promote tissue culture technology. This method will help produce disease-free, high-quality sugarcane seed and ensure faster and wider availability of improved varieties to farmers.
Through tissue culture, large quantities of pure and advanced planting material can be produced and supplied to farmers, making it easier to adopt new varieties and improve yields.
Women Empowerment and Rural Livelihoods
To promote women’s self-reliance, the Sugarcane Department has also signed an agreement with the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission. Under this initiative, women self-help groups will be involved in sugarcane seed production, nursery development, processing, value addition, running community kitchens, drone operations, and other related activities.
This move is expected to create employment opportunities for women in rural areas, boost household incomes, and strengthen the rural economy.
Mechanisation to Cut Costs and Labour Dependence
The meeting also featured demonstrations of harvester machines used for sugarcane cutting and stripping. With labour shortages and rising farming costs, the government is encouraging greater mechanisation to reduce farmers’ workload and expenses. Companies showcased different harvester models and explained their benefits to farmers.
Core Group Formed for Cane Development
A 30-member core group has been formed to guide sugarcane development in the state. The group includes the Chief Secretary, Cane Commissioner, senior government officials, research experts, representatives of sugar mills, and farmer representatives.
The first meeting of this core group was held at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Sugarcane Farmers’ Institute in Lucknow.
Focus on High-Yield, Climate-Suitable Varieties
The Sugarcane Minister instructed officials to promote high-yielding, disease-resistant, and good-quality cane varieties suited to Uttar Pradesh’s climate, while gradually phasing out older, low-performing varieties. He also stressed the importance of ensuring timely availability of quality seed to farmers to reduce cultivation costs and raise productivity.
Mills Asked to Invest in Cane Development
Sugar mills have been directed to allocate separate budgets for cane development. For the ongoing 2025–26 crushing season, mills must prepare detailed micro-plans covering the spread of new varieties, productivity improvement, ratoon management, pest and disease control, and nutrient management. These plans will be implemented within a fixed timeline and closely monitored.
Technology-Driven Farming Push
The core group will work on promoting advanced cane varieties, tissue culture, pest and disease management, soil health improvement, balanced fertiliser use, farm mechanisation, and precision farming using artificial intelligence.
Farmers have also been advised to adopt micro-irrigation methods such as drip and sprinkler systems to conserve groundwater, conduct regular soil testing, increase the use of organic fertilisers, and expand mechanical harvesting.
Strengthening Farmers’ Income and Sugar Output
According to the government, these combined efforts will increase farmers’ incomes, improve yield and crop quality, and further strengthen Uttar Pradesh’s position in sugar production. Sugar mills will also benefit from better-quality raw material, giving a fresh boost to the rural economy.
