Why in News?
The Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) has signed an MoU with ICAR–Indian Sugarcane Research Institute (ICAR-ISRI), Lucknow, to establish an Advanced Centre for quality sugarcane seed production.
About
- The proposed Centre will be set up at the ICAR-ISRI campus in Lucknow with an estimated investment of around ₹80 crore, shared equally by ISMA and ICAR.
- It will focus on the production and supply of disease-free, genetically pure and high-yielding sugarcane planting material.
- The Centre will also support seed quality monitoring, field performance assessment and training of sugarcane development personnel.
- The initiative aims to help farmers get improved varieties faster, replace pest- and disease-prone varieties, and improve cane productivity, sugar recovery and farm income.
- Participating sugar mills will help in the large-scale adoption and distribution of improved planting material.
