U.P. shifts sugarcane strategy to productivity, varieties and mechanisation

Uttar Pradesh is reorienting its sugarcane strategy around productivity rather than area expansion, with emphasis on high-yielding and disease-resistant varieties, improved seed systems, scientific cultivation practices and mechanisation.

Cane Commissioner Ministhy S. said land availability is increasingly constrained, which means future growth in the sector will depend on yield gains rather than bringing more acreage under cane. She pointed to varietal replacement as a key challenge, noting that while the widespread adoption of Co-0238 transformed cultivation in the State, red-rot pressure has made continuous innovation necessary. Efforts are now aimed at developing new high-yielding, high-sucrose varieties and widening access to quality seed material.

Ministhy, a 2003-batch Indian Administrative Service officer who also heads the State Sugar Corporation Limited, said mechanisation, micro-irrigation, integrated nutrient management and scientific pest control are being pushed in parallel. These measures are intended not only to raise productivity but also to bring down the cost of cultivation and improve farm profitability.

Additional Commissioner (Cane) Abhishek Anand said advanced technologies are increasingly shaping the sector. Remote sensing, satellite imagery, artificial intelligence and machine learning are being used for more accurate crop monitoring and varietal mapping, while geo-tagged field inspections through mobile applications are improving oversight. Initiatives on seed traceability and predictive analytics are being developed to support data-driven decision-making.

The department has tied up with the Remote Sensing Application Centre to run a pilot project on estimating sugarcane crop area and identifying varieties through remote sensing and machine learning.

Anand said farmers can now access survey details, cane reservation information, weighment records and payment status through a mobile phone, replacing a largely paper-driven system with a real-time digital ecosystem. He said the shift has improved transparency, reduced disputes and strengthened accountability across the sugarcane supply chain. With agriculture increasingly affected by climate variability and resource constraints, he added, the ability to generate and use accurate field-level data may prove as important as traditional extension services.