Even as there is no better or even equivalent alternative available, Co-0238 sugarcane variety, which increased the average yield by 33 per cent during the past decade and helped in doubling of production in Uttar Pradesh, is likely to be phased out as sugar mills do not want to take a chance similar to the bitter experience in Punjab around 2000 when CoJ 64 variety succumbed to red rot disease.

A new stain of red rot has been the cause of worry this time in Uttar Pradesh and a letter from the State cane commissioner two years back requesting mills to phase out Co-0238 has now gained momentum with some mills able to achieve as much as 40 per cent replacement of the variety with Co-0118 by persuading farmers in current sowing season.

According to the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), Co-0238 covered 82.2 per cent of cane area in UP with average yield at 91 tonnes/hectare, whereas this same variety was in 35 per cent area in Haryana with 85 t/ha yield and 62.8 per cent area and 91.2 t/ha yield in Punjab. Uttarakhand and Bihar are the other two states where this variety is widely grown and together had an area coverage of 26 lakh hectares (lh) in these five states of India’s north sub tropical region.

High yield

UP in fact surpassed Maharashtra as top producer of sugar in 2016-17 mainly due to yield and recovery increase following adoption of Co-0238 variety.

As sugar mills are mandatorily required to buy all sugarcane grown in a geographical area within certain radius from the factory as allotted by government, they work closely with farmers guiding them from sowing till harvesting.

Suggesting continuation of Co-0238 for some more years, particularly in areas where red rot threat is minimal, Bakshi Ram, who is called father of this innovative variety, said that there is need to sustain it “until and unless we get a variety, either on par or slightly better than this variety.”

Ram, who is a former director of Coimbatore-based Sugarcane Breeding Institute, told BusinessLine: “That decision was taken by UP government two years back when area under Co-0238 was 86.7 per cent. How will they reduce? Where will they get seed of alternate variety? Wherever the Co-0238 has been replaced, both yield and recovery have fallen in that area, particularly in eastern UP.”

He also said that over the years this variety turned susceptible to red rot and a new stain has been developed due to large area under just one variety.

Reducing dependence on this variety

“We aim to ramp-up the diversification of our sugar portfolio, with a varietal substitution programme to reduce our dependence on the miracle variety, Co-0238, part from mitigating the risks of farmers. We have already started the plan at all our sugar units by focussing on propagation of Co118, Co 98014, CoLk 94184, Co J85 varieties while new varieties like Co-15023 and Co S13235, are being explored,” Tarun Sawhney, Vice Chairman and managing director of Triveni group said. The Punjab episode on CoJ 64 should not be repeated, he said.

Ram, on the other hand, said the same CoJ 64 variety was managed in western UP by some mills through scientific propagation and management of the crop and they avoided what Punjab faced.