The NABARD's Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI) is a creative credit-plus strategy that helps integrate a twin drip irrigation system with resource-conserving agricultural techniques for sugarcane growth. Its goal is to encourage sugarcane farmers to use sustainable and cutting-edge agronomic techniques that have a smaller environmental impact while building market connections with sugar manufacturers. The SSI sugarcane cultivation method evolved from the 'More with Less' principles followed in SRI (System of Rice Intensification) and was introduced in India by the WWF-ICRISAT collaborative project in 2009. This article will explain to you about Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI) which will be helpful in preparing the Agriculture Syllabus for the UPSC Civil Service exam.

Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative - Background

• Traditional sugarcane cultivation has been discovered to be seed, water, and space intensive.
• High input costs, disease infestation, low yields, varietal degeneration, drought, and water logging are major constraints to achieving maximum profits.
• Small and marginal farmers were unable to meet the seed money requirements for installing drip irrigation systems, which is a key component of the Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI).
• The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) joined forces with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to better understand and address water issues.
• The joint project on 'Improving Agriculture Water Productivity' is investigating non-traditional and out-of-the-box approaches in which resource inputs are low and yields are high.
• The Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI) is one such approach that could significantly reduce inputs such as water, fertiliser, and seed material while improving sugarcane production.

What is Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI)?

• The Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI) is an innovative set of agronomic practises that entails using fewer seeds, raising seeds in a nursery, and using new planting methods with wider seed spacing and better water and nutrient management to significantly increase cane yields.
• Sugarcane yields can be increased by at least 20% using 30% less water and 25% less chemical input.
• The Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative helps to lessen the negative environmental effects of sugarcane production practices while also establishing commercial links with sugar makers.
• This program aims to advance agronomic methods that are intelligent and sustainable.
• The project benefits small and marginal farmers since it improves output, uses less water and fertilizer, and allows for intercropping.
• The technical-cum-financial support given to the project under the Umbrella Program for Natural Resource Management (UPNRM) has transformed the mindset of farmers to adopt new techniques for higher yield and income, in addition to sensitizing them to the scientific production system.

Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative - Objectives

The objectives of the Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative are as follows:

• Using single-budded chips can assist farmers in growing nurseries.
• Promoting nutrition management and organic plant protection techniques.
• Moving seedlings that are 25–35 days old to a protected area.
• Educating farmers on the need of keeping a wide gap between crops in the field.
• Encouraging farmers to intercrop in order to efficiently use their land.

Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative - Features

• The Maharashtra Sugar Cooperatives, NABARD, and umbrella program for natural resource management are all involved in the implementation of the sustainable sugarcane initiative.
• India is the world's second-largest producer of sugarcane. In reality, the production of sugar contributes to the survival of nearly 35 million farmers.
• This effort uses eco-friendly farming methods to advance the cause.
• By providing them with financial assistance, discounted seedlings, exposure visits, and organic manure, farmers are urged to adhere to SSI.
• The government provided farmers from Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI), Pune, with single-eye budded seedlings.
• They were urged to engage in peanuts, sugarcane, and soybean intercropping.
• The area brought under drip irrigation and SSI cultivation is approximately 280 acres, which is possibly the largest area among sugar factories in India.
• The field trials using the twin interventions of drip irrigation and SSI cultivation increased productivity from 60 MT/acre of sugarcane using flood irrigation to 92 MT of sugarcane.

Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative - Advantages

• With this method, gap filling is not necessary to ensure the survival of any transplanted seedlings.
• It lowers the number of seeds, water, and fertilizers needed to produce a long-term yield. With this program, we hope to produce more work with fewer resources.
• With Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative farming, crop yields rise by 20–30%.
• By using less of the product, it can reduce agricultural costs by up to 25%.
• This initiative decreases plant mortality and promotes the growth of superior sugarcane.
• Fertigation costs are decreased. Its objective is to give both men and women in rural areas jobs in the seedling production process.
• Funds from this initiative are used to reduce seedling expenses and support farmer awareness programs.
• Up to 940,000 m3 of water can be saved with this technique each year.
• In five years, SSI wants to teach sustainable farming methods to 20,000 farmers.
• A grower could save up to Rs. 88,000 per acre by implementing Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative principles.
• Individuals can cut back on their water use by up to 50% in order to protect the environment.

Challenges to the Indian Sugar Industry

• Low Productivity per unit area: In comparison to major sugar-producing regions around the world, India's sugarcane yield per hectare is extremely low.
• This results in low overall production and a scarcity of sugarcane for sugar mills.
• Short Crushing Season: Sugar production in India is a seasonal phenomenon, with a crushing period ranging from 4 to 7 months per year. During this time, the mills and workers continue to operate.
• However, they remain idle for the remainder of the time.
• Variable Production Trends: Sugarcane cultivation in India must compete with the cultivation of other food and cash crops.
• As a result, there is a scarcity of land suitable for sugarcane cultivation.
• Overall sugarcane production eventually fluctuates and does not remain constant.
• High Manufacturing Costs: Several factors contribute to the high cost of sugar production, including inefficient technology, an uneconomic manufacturing process, and high excise duty.
• As a result, India's sugar production costs more than other sugar-producing countries.
• Inefficient Mills: Small and inefficient mills with old and obsolete machinery make large-scale production uneconomic.
• Government Policies: Certain government policies, such as minimum distance criteria between mills, cane area reservation, dual cane pricing by the centre and states, levying sugar obligations on mills, the regulated release mechanism, export and import regulations, and mandatory packaging of sugar in jute bags, pose significant challenges to this sector in India.
• Other Challenges: Other issues include low rates of return, regional imbalances in distribution, low per capita consumption, and so on.

Conclusion

The project benefits small and marginal farmers by increasing yield, reducing fertiliser and water use, and allowing for intercropping. The UPNRM technical-cum-financial support provided to the project has not only sensitised farmers to the scientific production system, but has also changed their mind set to adopt innovative practises for higher yield and income. The farmers may significantly boost their productivity by using the Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative to simultaneously conserve water and cut back on inputs like fertilizers. Therefore, it is extremely likely that sugarcane growers will experience increased economic gains by upholding ecological sustainability.