The programme will also support seed quality monitoring, field performance assessment, training of cane development personnel and large-scale adoption through participating sugar mills, ensuring that research reaches farmers effectively
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The Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) on Wednesday announced that it has signed an MoU with ICAR–Indian Sugarcane Research Institute (ICAR-ISRI), Lucknow, to establish an Advanced Centre for quality sugarcane seed production for sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh and the subtropical region.The proposed Centre, to be set up with an estimated investment of about ₹80 crore on a 50:50 sharing basis at ISRI’s Lucknow campus, will serve as a dedicated hub for strengthening the quality sugarcane seed ecosystem including production and its adoption by farmers so that pest/insect-prone varieties are replaced, and farmers get technical and scientific support. While ICAR’s investment will be in terms of its services, ISMA will invest its own share to put the necessary infrastructure in place, sources said.This farmer-centric initiative aims to create a structured, science-based system for multiplication and distribution of disease-free, genetically pure and high-yielding sugarcane seed, helping farmers access better varieties more quickly, improve cane productivity, enhance sugar recovery and ultimately increase farm income, ISMA said in a statement.Monitor qualityThe programme will also support seed quality monitoring, field performance assessment, training of cane development personnel and large-scale adoption through participating sugar mills, ensuring that research reaches farmers effectively.Thanking Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, ICAR’s Director General Mangi Lal Jat, Deputy Director General (crop science) D K Yadav, ISRI’s Director S N Sushil and joint secretary (sugar) in food ministry Ashwini Srivastava for their support on the initiative, ISMA said that the centre of excellence will help build a stronger and more sustainable sugarcane ecosystem.The proposed Centre will ensure assured production and timely supply of quality sugarcane planting material of improved, recommended, released and promising new varieties, with a defined annual production capacity, enable scientific and accelerated multiplication of elite and newly released sugarcane varieties through protected and scientifically managed cultivation systems.Support diversificationIt will also support systematic replacement and diversification of sugarcane varieties across participating sugar mill command areas to enhance cane productivity, sugar recovery and the long-term sustainability of sugarcane cultivation.Disease-free seed production will be a major hallmark of the proposed centre as it will focus on certification and regular quality monitoring, to maintain the health and genetic purity of planting material with systematic tagging and digital traceability of seed lots. The Agriculture Ministry has already put in place through its Seed Net portal a system on traceability under which at any point in the supply chain through a QR code the details about a seed variety can be found.Commenting on it, Deepak Ballani, Director General, ISMA, said: “The sugarcane farmer must remain at the centre of every effort to strengthen the sector. Quality planting material is the starting point for higher productivity, better sugar recovery and stronger farm incomes. This partnership with ICAR–ISRI is aimed at translating scientific research into tangible benefits on the ground by enabling faster and wider access to disease-free, genetically pure and high-yielding planting material through participating sugar mills.”Published on August 13, 2026
