Sugarcane production up 25% in UP on modern agri practices

Hardoi, Apr 16. With introduction of modern agri- techniques by farmers under the scheme 'Mitha Sona' has raised the sugarcane productivity by average 25 per cent in the last three years in some districts of Uttar Pradesh. With a purpose of increasing productivity of sugarcane, DCM Shriram Consolidated Ltd (DSCL) along with World Bank arm International Finance Corporation (IFC) in 2009 started the project 'Mitha Sona' in Hardoi and Lakhimpur Kheri districts and adjoining areas in Uttar Pradesh. "The project started as a pilot with 2,000 farmers across our two units and currently has 80,000 farmers under the DSCL Sugar-IFC 'Mitha Sona' project spread across all four units. It has increased productivity of farmers by 25 per cent average in the last 3 years over an area of 50,000 hectares," DCM Shriram Deputy Managing Director Ajit S Shriram said. Shriram added that focus was on training and capability building of the farmers and field staff using a package of practices tailored for particular crop, agro-climatic zone and socio-economic conditions. The project primarily focused on training the farmers for ground-level harvesting of cane to promote its cultivation via ratoons and usage of pheremone insecticide in an specially designed open instrument to attract and kill male insects. Ratoon is roots and lower parts of the plant which left uncut during harvesting of sugarcane for earlier maturity of next crop. Rajpal Singh, one of the farmers got benefited from the project, said: "Earlier, I was able to harvest sugarcane a year after its sowing but with the ground level harvesting and flat cutting of cane as guided under the project, now crops get ready for harvesting even after nine months." Another farmer, Hariom Mishra said, "Till last season, I was able to harvest 350-400 tonnes of cane per hectare but following the usage of ratoon method and pheremone to kill insects this season yield was around 500-550 tonnes per hectare." The input cost has also come down with usage of ratoons technique, farmers added. The initiative was preceded by rigorous survey documenting agronomic practices and socio-economic status of growers in the target area. Roles and responsibilities of IFC and DSCL Sugar have been distributed in such a manner so as to complement each other. The DSCL's four sugar plants in Uttra Pradesh are located at Ajbapur in Lakhimpur Kheri. Other three are located in Rupapur, Hariawan and Loni, all in district Hardoi.