Sugarcane varieties should be rejuvenated to support farmers, says official

Rejuvenation of sugarcane varieties is important so that farmers get better yields, said V. Venkata Rao, Director of Sugar and Cane Commissioner, Andhra Pradesh.

Speaking at a stakeholder workshop on “Sugar Industry in South India : Present Challenge and Future Roadmap”, he said the existing varieties are prone to diseases and these need to be rejuvenated. The trials should be conducted at the fields of the farmers and seed multiplication should be done at a faster pace. The farmers also want varieties that will enable them to harvest the crop before Pongal.