India
UP sugar output falls to 89.5 lakh tonnes
The Indian Express··28 Sept
Uttar Pradesh sugar output fell from 126.4 lakh tonnes in 2019-20 to 89.5 lakh tonnes in 2025-26 as the dominant Co-0238 cane variety succumbed to red rot. State mills crushed over a fifth less cane in six years. ICAR's new Co-20016 variety averaged 144.6 tonnes per hectare in three-year ISMA trials versus 116.4 for Co-0238.
Prism
What It Means For You
- A central varietal release committee is expected in October before farmers can plant Co-20016 commercially.
- ISMA trials found mean sucrose at 10 months was 18.7% for Co-20016 versus 18.3% for Co-0238.
- UP is slated for Assembly polls in February-March 2027 with about 120 sugar mills operating.
What's Happening
- A varietal identification committee picked Co-20016 as a potential Co-0238 replacement on May 27.
- ISMA and ICAR-SBI ran three-year evaluation trials across subtropical states including 11 UP mills.
- Co-20016 showed resistance to the CF13 red rot pathotype that broke Co-0238's earlier resistance.
The Numbers Behind It
- Co-0238's share of UP cane area rose to 82.2% in 2019-20 as state production peaked at 126.4 lakh tonnes.
- Cane crushed by UP mills fell from 1,118 lakh tonnes at the peak as yields suffered.
- Former ICAR-SBI director Bakshi Ram said CF13 emerged from intensive monoculture planting of Co-0238.
all-news
