Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) in association with Lucknow-based Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research has conducted a seminar on ‘Mechanisation in Sugarcane Agriculture’ on Tuesday in which it was agreed by the participants that mechanical harvesting will be a win-win situation for both farmers and millers.
Propagation of mechanical harvesting will be a win-win situation for both the farmers and millers as it can solve labour problem as well as help improve the next crop, ISMA said in a statement. “Due to improvement in cane cutting and spreading of trash by mechanical harvesters, ‘ratoonability’ of the crop will improve considerably at no extra cost, which is directly beneficial to farmers,” ISMA said.
Currently around 2,000 mechanical harvesters are in operation in the country covering only about 4 per cent of total cane area, which is almost negligible compared to other countries like Brazil, Thailand and the US.
The sugar industry whole heartedly supports the change and at the same time challenges in implementation need to be mitigated with the support of government, millers said.
In parallel to the conference, technology providers displayed their products and informed visitors about the technological advances in sugarcane sector.
Some speakers also pointed out challenges of higher non-cane material in the total cane weight, that happens in mechanically harvested cane wheras it is lower in manual harvesting.
Chairman of CACP Vijay Paul Sharma, Cane Commissioner of Uttar Pradesh Sanjay R Bhoosreddy and Additional Secretary in Food Ministry Subodh Kumar Singha among others were attended the event.