FAISALABAD – Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI) has introduced three new varieties of sugarcane which would give 40 percent more yield as compared to the existing varieties. This was stated by Director General AARI Dr Abid Mahmood while talking to APP here on Saturday. He said that Pakistan was the 5th largest sugarcane producing country of the world. However, the average yield of the country was far less than its potential due to various reasons.
Moreover, water shortage and climatic changes were posing serious threat to the production of sugarcane, he said and added that in order to combat these challenges and enhancing the production of sugarcane, the scientists of Sugarcane Research Institute of AARI have evolved three new varieties of sugarcane including CPF-250, CPF-251 and CPF-253 which would give 40 percent more yield and require 30 percent less water to complete the growth cycle. Responding to a question, he told the area under the cultivation of sugarcane was reducing due to water shortage, marketing issues and encouragement of other cash crops by the government.
“Only in Punjab the area under sugarcane cultivation has decreased by 27 percent during this year”, he said, adding that this situation may cause negative impact on sugarcane.
He said that newly devolved varieties were successfully tested by the scientists of this institute under different agro-ecological zones and were expected to be approved for mass cultivation by Punjab Seed Council during next month.