Lok Sabha Question No. 6176 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-04-11
Subject: Cultivation of Banana and Sugarcane
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE, SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6176 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11/04/2017

## CULTIVATION OF BANANA AND SUGARCANE

6176. SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT:

SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO:

SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE:

DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f"k ,oa fdlku dY;k.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that a dedicated research for enhancing the food  production  and  exploring  the  new  areas  is  still  required,  if  so,  the  details thereof and the steps taken by the Government in this regard;
- (b) whether the Government has identified the States which are environmentally more suitable for cultivation of bananas and sugarcane other than the current major producing States and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Central  agencies  have  prepared  any  plan  for  encouraging  the farmers of these States to cultivate the bananas and sugarcane in their farms and if so, the achievement made so far by these States; and
- (d) the  other  areas  identified  by  the  Government  which  are  more  suitable  for  a particular crop, fruit and vegetable other than the current major producing States and the initiatives taken by the Government in this regard?

## A N S W E R

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f'k ,oa fdlku dY;k.k ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h

## (SHRI SUDARSHAN BHAGAT)

- (a) Yes. In order to enhance the food production and exploring the new areas, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) as an apex scientific organization at national level is having a strong agricultural research system with a wide network of

institutes  spread  throughout  the  country  and  well  established  institutional  linkages with the State Agricultural Universities, other Departments of the Central and State Governments and international agencies. The Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) provides government linkages to the ICAR. As a whole the goal  of  ICAR  is  to  promote  sustainable  and  inclusive  agricultural  growth  and development  in  the  country  by  interfacing  education,  research  and  extension initiatives complemented with efficient and effective institutional, infrastructure and policy support, for ensuring livelihood and environmental security.

- (b) Yes.
1. The Government of India is implementing sugarcane developmental programme under the National Food  Security Mission  (Commercial  Crops)  in major sugarcane growing States by following cropping system approach to encourage farmers  to  improve  productivity  of  sugarcane.  This  encompasses  use  of  proper crop rotation, multiple cropping systems, intercropping etc. Under the NFSM-CC the  total  allocation  during  2016-17  is  Rs.  1253.50  lakh  for sugarcane  including Central share & State share, 60:40 basis. The major growing states & strategies for development of Sugarcane under NFSM-Commercial crops are as follows:

## Sugarcane Growing States-

Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttarkhand & Uttar Pradesh.

Strategies:

-  Demonstration  on  intercropping  with  Pulses,  Oilseed  and  Cereals  with Sugarcane.
-  Demonstration on use of Tissue Culture Seedlings/Plantlets.
-  Demonstration on Single Bud Technology.
-  Strengthening /Establishment of tissue culture and bio-agent laboratories.
-  Capacity building of extension officials and farmers in sugarcane production.
-  Sugarcane  Breeder  Seed  Production  through  ICAR/SAUs  &  Sugarcane Research Institute.

Besides, NFSM, States can support sugarcane development programme under Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (RKVY)  with  approval  of  State  level  Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary of the State.

2. ICAR-NRC  for  Banana,  Tiruchirapalli  has  identified  new  potential  areas  for banana  cultivation  in  Uttar  Pradesh,  Punjab,  Chattisgadh,  Himachal  Pradesh, Rajasthan and all the states in North Eastern Region.

In these states and NER, the area (in Ha) under banana were 1,03,000 ha during the year 2011-12 and gradually the area has increased to 1,05,000  ha during 2014-15. Area is expected to increase.

North Eastern regions have been traditionally growing banana as a backyard crop has now taken up in a commercial way realising its importance.

(c) Yes.  With  the  coordination  of  ICAR-NRC  for  banana,  AICRP-Fruits  and through ICAR-ATARI, the banana cultivation is being expanded in a newer places of  these  states  by  transferring  the  technologies  developed  at  ICAR  institutes, especially from NRCB through KVK and AICRP-Centres.

AICRP has agreed to provide a new center for Chattisgarh where banana research and extension will be adopted in an effective way.

In UP, in and around Lucknow where at higher pH and EC, the soil is not actually suitable  for  banana,  with  an  effort  of  ICAR-CSSRI,  ICAR-NRCB,  ICAR-CISH, have introduced various banana germplasm and identified varieties suitable for UP conditions  with  high  pH  soil.  Package  of  practices  and  introduction  of  new technologies like use of bioprimed plants tissue culture plants, microbial consortia, etc. are being developed to obtain a good yield of banana in those marginal lands to increase the farmers income.

ICAR-  NRCB has  intervened  and  made  many  visits  to  Lucknow,  Kushinagar  to support  the  expansion  of  banana  in  those  regions  of  UP.  Three  sensitization programmes  have  been  conducted  on  application  of  Good  Agricultural  Practices (GAP) especially  to  overcome  the  problems  like  extreme  temperatures,  high  pH, flooding during monsoons and to control diseases like Fusarium wilt, Sigatoka leaf spot, pests like pseudostem borers and weevils etc.

Similar attempts are being made in Punjab also. ICAR- NRCB has taken up a trial to  identify  suitable  varieties  for  this  state  in  collaboration  with  PAU,  Ludhiana under AICRP- Fruits. More than 25 varieties have been supplied to NABI- Mohali, in a DBT funded project to see the feasibility of cultivation. The results are awaited. Already,  cultivation  of  cv.  Grand  Naine  is  in  vogue  and  introduction  of  low temperature tolerant varieties will be identified for cultivation in Punjab.

Sugarcane: ICAR  is  working  to  enhance  the  sugarcane  productivity  in  the sugarcane  growing  States  (Uttar  Pradesh,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Maharashtra,  Punjab, Haryana,  Gujarat,  Uttarakhand,  Bihar,  Andhra  Pradesh,  Telangana,  Karnataka, Odisha, Assam, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu). Also institutes of ICAR like Indian Institute  of  Sugarcane  Research  (IISR)  at  Lucknow  and  Sugarcane  Breeding Institute (SBI) at Coimbatore are carrying out basic, applied, strategic and adaptive research to cater to the needs of increasing productivity of sugarcane.

(d) India  is  the  second  largest  producer  of  fruits  and  vegetables  in  the  world. Despite vagaries of nature, there has been continuous improvement in the production of horticultural crop during the last four years. It has been possible due to concerted R&D efforts by all the stakeholders. The Horticultural Science Division under ICAR

comprising  12  Institutes,  five  Directorates  and  six  National  Research  Centres (NRCs),  11  All  India  Coordinated  Research  Projects  and  2  All  India  Network Research  Projects,  has  developed  a  number  of  varieties/technologies  and  value added  products  during,  2013-14  to  2015-16,  which  may  play  significant  role  in enhancing the profitability and have significant impact on horticulture sector. These horticultural  Institutes/Directorates/NRCs  are  working  on  different  vegetables  and fruit crops in all the states of India and many new areas like Flagship programmes, platform projects, Extramural projects, consortia programmes  are already in operation to carry out basic, applied and strategic research work.

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