Global sugarcane research centre to come up in Coimbatore at Rs 90 crore

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A global Centre of Excellence for sugarcane research will be established at the Indian Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore at a cost of Rs 90 crore. The Union government is expected to provide Rs 45 crore, with the rest contributed by the industry over four years, according to Harshvardhan Patil, president of the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories. The centre aims to develop new sugarcane varieties in eight years instead of the current 14 years, focusing on higher yield, sugar recovery, drought tolerance, and pest resistance.

Patil said sugar mills now operate only 100 days a year, down from 200 days earlier, due to declining production from pests, extreme heat, and waterlogging. The Hindu reports that Tamil Nadu, though the sixth largest sugar producer, has the highest productivity. Additional Director of the Directorate of Sugar S. Arunraj said a delegation will visit Maharashtra to study the use of artificial intelligence in sugarcane farming, which has already benefited about two lakh farmers in that state.