# ISMA partners with ICAR for Rs 80 crore sugarcane seed centre 2026-08-13T19:11:59+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) has signed an MoU with ICAR, Indian Sugarcane Research Institute (ICAR-ISRI), Lucknow, to set up an Advanced Centre for quality sugarcane seed production. The centre, to be built at ISRI’s campus at an estimated Rs 80 crore shared equally between the two, will focus on producing disease-free, genetically pure planting material for sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh and the subtropical region. The programme will also monitor seed quality, assess field performance, train cane development personnel, and help replace pest-prone varieties, ISMA said in a statement on Wednesday. The initiative aims to create a structured system for multiplication and distribution of high-yielding seeds, with digital traceability through QR codes under the Agriculture Ministry’s Seed Net portal. ICAR will contribute its services, while ISMA will invest in infrastructure. The centre will support systematic variety diversification across sugar mill command areas to boost cane productivity and sugar recovery. ## Coverage - thehindubusinessline.com Tags: agriculture, ICAR, ISMA, seed production, sugarcane, Uttar Pradesh Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/isma-partners-with-icar-for-rs-80-crore-sugarcane-seed-centre/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/isma-partners-with-icar-for-rs-80-crore-sugarcane-seed-centre/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.