Punjab eyes higher sugarcane output with new variety

FAISALABAD:

Punjab's agricultural scientists have developed a new sugarcane variety, FDP-254, with the potential to produce more than 2,000 maunds per acre and achieve a sugar recovery rate of up to 12.77%, raising hopes of improving crop productivity and strengthening the country's sugar industry.

The development was highlighted at a meeting held at the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI), Faisalabad, to review and approve the Sugarcane Production Plan 2026-27.

Chairing the meeting, Director Agriculture Farm Training Punjab Dr Muhammad Tariq said sugarcane was an important cash crop and increasing its per-acre yield was essential for agricultural development and economic prosperity.

He said Punjab's average sugarcane yield stood at 745 maunds per acre, compared with the reported global average of 710 maunds.

He stressed the need to ensure timely availability of quality seed of approved varieties and effectively transfer modern production technologies to farmers.

He urged growers to adopt recommended cultivation practices, including improved varieties, appropriate seed rates and planting methods, timely sowing, balanced fertiliser application, need-based irrigation and timely control of weeds, diseases and insect pests.

Chief Scientist Sugarcane Research Institute AARI Dr Muhammad Kashif Munir said the newly developed FDP-254 variety had demonstrated the potential to produce more than 2,000 maunds per acre, with sugar recovery reaching 12.77 per cent.

He said varieties developed by the institute were cultivated on approximately 90 per cent of Pakistan's total sugarcane-growing area, reflecting its contribution to agricultural research and development.