Dependence upon one variety of sugarcane is proving costly for the farmers and is also becoming a cause of sugar crisis. Popular variety of sugarcane that played a key part in increasing production and sugar recovery was CO-0238; however, cultivation of this variety for a long time has made the farmers vulnerable to red rot.

The scientists of sugarcane need to work on alternative varieties by diversification of varieties grown in the fields. This issue has been recognized by the government and ICAR has been instructed to develop such alternatives to CO-0238.

It is necessary for the agricultural scientists to develop varieties that are resistant to red rot and changeable climate but produce high yield with good sugar content. Sugar crisis starts from the fields and not from the mill gate. As the yield of sugarcane reduces, recovery at the mills would reduce and ultimately affect the sugar prices.

This year, cultivation of sugarcane has been done on 58.87 lakh hectares in the country. Ten years back, the figure was 49.27 lakh hectares. Thus the acreage under sugarcane has increased by 10 lakh hectares during this period. CO-0238 was once cultivated on 27.9 lakh hectares in five major states of North India accounting for about 84 percent of total sugarcane area in these states.

However, the picture is changing. In Uttar Pradesh, the area under CO-0238 has decreased to 8.34 lakh hectares in 2025-26, representing 29.17 percent of the state's total sugarcane area. In 2023-24, it was cultivated on 17.76 lakh hectares. This means that its acreage has reduced by more than half in two years. Instead, the area under varieties like CO-0118, CO-LK-94184, CO-13235, and CO-LK-14201 has increased.

Red rot is known as sugarcane cancer. It reduces both the weight and juice content of sugarcane and reduces its sucrose content. ICAR research has also shown a reduction in the weight, juice, Brix, sucrose, and sugar recovery of sugarcane affected by the disease. This means less sugarcane in the field and less sugar in the mill.

In Uttar Pradesh, 6,372 hectares of sugarcane were affected by this disease in the current crushing season, compared to approximately 61,900 hectares in 2023-24. The situation was extremely severe in some areas. In the lower regions of western Uttar Pradesh, 60 to 100 percent of the plants were affected in CO-0238 fields.

ICAR has developed several new varieties as alternatives to CO-0238, which have yet to reach the fields. Among these, Ikshu-14 has been shown to be resistant to red rot. CO-16030, Ikshu-10, and Ikshu-15 have also been found to be resistant to red rot.

Dependence upon one variety of sugarcane is proving costly for the farmers and is also becoming a cause of sugar crisis. Popular variety of sugarcane that played a key part in increasing production and sugar recovery was CO-0238; however, cultivation of this variety for a long time has made the farmers vulnerable to red rot.

The scientists of sugarcane need to work on alternative varieties by diversification of varieties grown in the fields. This issue has been recognized by the government and ICAR has been instructed to develop such alternatives to CO-0238.

It is necessary for the agricultural scientists to develop varieties that are resistant to red rot and changeable climate but produce high yield with good sugar content. Sugar crisis starts from the fields and not from the mill gate. As the yield of sugarcane reduces, recovery at the mills would reduce and ultimately affect the sugar prices.

This year, cultivation of sugarcane has been done on 58.87 lakh hectares in the country. Ten years back, the figure was 49.27 lakh hectares. Thus the acreage under sugarcane has increased by 10 lakh hectares during this period. CO-0238 was once cultivated on 27.9 lakh hectares in five major states of North India accounting for about 84 percent of total sugarcane area in these states.

However, the picture is changing. In Uttar Pradesh, the area under CO-0238 has decreased to 8.34 lakh hectares in 2025-26, representing 29.17 percent of the state's total sugarcane area. In 2023-24, it was cultivated on 17.76 lakh hectares. This means that its acreage has reduced by more than half in two years. Instead, the area under varieties like CO-0118, CO-LK-94184, CO-13235, and CO-LK-14201 has increased.

Red rot is known as sugarcane cancer. It reduces both the weight and juice content of sugarcane and reduces its sucrose content. ICAR research has also shown a reduction in the weight, juice, Brix, sucrose, and sugar recovery of sugarcane affected by the disease. This means less sugarcane in the field and less sugar in the mill.

In Uttar Pradesh, 6,372 hectares of sugarcane were affected by this disease in the current crushing season, compared to approximately 61,900 hectares in 2023-24. The situation was extremely severe in some areas. In the lower regions of western Uttar Pradesh, 60 to 100 percent of the plants were affected in CO-0238 fields.

ICAR has developed several new varieties as alternatives to CO-0238, which have yet to reach the fields. Among these, Ikshu-14 has been shown to be resistant to red rot. CO-16030, Ikshu-10, and Ikshu-15 have also been found to be resistant to red rot.