KARACHI, June 20: The Pakistan Society of Sugar Technologists (PSST) has advised sugarcane growers in Sindh to adopt water saving irrigation methods such as ship irrigation and sprinkling or drip irrigation to cope with the situation. The society also stressed for a more comprehensive strategy. It was observed that the need for capital intensive cultivation could be dealt by sowing of early maturing, disease and pest-resistant varieties of sugarcane.

This was the consensus reached after a workshop organized by the PSST where different sugarcane research institutes presented their papers on different issues confronting sugarcane cultivation in Sindh.

It was recommended that the growers should adopt latest irrigation methods like ship irrigation and sprinkling or drip irrigation to meet the irrigation shortage and should strive hard to cut down on their inputs.

The PSST pointed out that the composition of sugarcane varieties in the province was very poor and it required attention of all quarters concerned like research institutes, growers, sugar mills and government departments.

The workshop suggested that varieties with less sucrose contents, late maturing, and that are prone to diseases must be avoided. It was felt that there was need to completely weed out the banned varieties of cane and a comprehensive plan be chalked out by the departments concerned in coordination with the growers and sugar industry.

Increase in yield per acre should be the main target for the next crop. Therefore, sugar mills and research institutes along with the agriculture department should disseminate the latest information and technology to the growers in the form of pamphlets and media campaign and undertake supervised demonstration plots at fields.

Similarly, the 1sugar mills should also develop their own cane farms and help the growers improve their seed varieties and introduce latest agronomical practices. Biological control of sugarcane pests has been recommended to be the most economical and natural phenomenon and needs to be enhanced vigorously. The sugar mills should establish biological laboratories at their premises in time for assistance to the growers.

It was suggested that research and development activities of sugarcane should be enhanced in the province and a 25 per cent road cess may be allocated for this purpose as was being done by Punjab.

The establishment of a sugar technology research institute in the province was also suggested in order to make research and development activities comprehensive.

It was also agreed to formulate a task force comprising all stakeholders and a regular meeting should be called by adviser to the chief minister on agriculture and food Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi who chaired the first session of the workshop.