Dhanuka Agritech hosts exclusive seminar on sugarcane sustainability in Lucknow

New Delhi: Dhanuka Agritech Limited, a leader in sustainable agrochemical solutions, hosted an exclusive seminar on Sugarcane Sustainability: Best Practices and Innovations at the Ballroom, Novotel Lucknow, Gomti Nagar.

The event brought together key stakeholders – including government officials, sugar mill owners, sugarcane experts, scientists from KVK, IISR, and district sugarcane officials, as well as policymakers – to address critical challenges and explore innovative solutions for improving sugarcane yield and quality in Uttar Pradesh.

The seminar was graced by Dr. Bakshi Ram (Padma Shree, Former Director, Sugarcane Breeding Institute), Madhavendra Pratap Singh, MLA, Sawayazpur (Hardoi), Uttar Pradesh, Dr. Kumar Vineet, IAS, MD, UP Coop. Sugar Factories Federation Ltd, and Roshan Lal Tamak, ED & CEO – Sugar Business, DCM Shriram Ltd. added their insights to the discussions.

Key focus areas of the seminar included addressing Uttar Pradesh’s low per-hectare sugarcane yield—currently averaging 84 tonnes compared to Tamil Nadu’s 105 tonnes—and exploring the underlying causes: limited access to modern technologies (seeds, soil testing, precision spray technology, and finances), inadequate market access, and the use of substandard farm inputs. Data presented during the seminar highlighted that while progressive farmers in UP have achieved yields as high as 284 tonnes (as discussed during the CII Sugartec Meeting in Lucknow on 16th-17th November), the overall potential remains underexploited. In his address at the CII meeting, UP’s Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, noted that fertile land and ample water resources from rivers like the Ganga and Yamuna present an opportunity to triple or quadruple current production levels in UP.

A comparative analysis revealed that India’s per-hectare sugarcane yield and farmer income are only about one-third of China’s and roughly 25-30% of those in other developed countries. Reflecting on these challenges, Dr. R.G. Agarwal, Chairman Emeritus, emphasized the need for modern agronomic practices and scientific advancements to boost productivity and profitability.