As UP’s sugar output plunges, hopes on a new cane variety

Uttar Pradesh, India's leading sugarcane-producing state, has witnessed a sharp decline in sugar output from 126.4 lakh tonnes (lt) to 89.5 lt between 2019-20 and 2025-26, attributed to the Co-0238 sugarcane variety's high susceptibility to red rot fungal disease. This has resulted in a 20% drop in the total cane crushed by the state's 120 sugar mills in the past six years, leading to increased hopes for a new variety.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research's Sugarcane Breeding Institute (ICAR-SBI) at Coimbatore has developed Co-20016 (Karan 20), which could replace Co-0238. After approval from the Central Varietal Release Committee, farmers can plant this variety during spring, summer, or autumn seasons. Trials conducted by the Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) have shown Co-20016 to have higher cane yield (144.6 tonnes per hectare) and sucrose content (18.7%) compared to Co-0238 (116.4 tonnes per hectare and 18.3% sucrose).

Crucially, Co-20016 also shows resistance to red rot, especially the highly virulent 'CF13' pathotype.