The state sugarcane industry department on Tuesday signed an MoU with Lucknow-based Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research (IISR) to develop better quality and high-yielding variety (HYV) sugarcane seeds to increase its productivity and sugar recovery rate.

Sugarcane industry department secretary Sudhir Kumar and IISR director S. Solomon signed the pact in the presence of sugarcane industry minister Awadhesh Prasad Kushwaha in Patna.

The government has provided the research institute with 50 hectares at Harinagar (in West Champaran) and Rs 1.85 crore for developing HYV seeds, Kumar said.

“According to the MoU, IISR would help the state government develop better quality and HYV seeds. Only better quality seeds can help the farmers increase their productivity and sugar recovery rate. Thus the MoU has been signed,” Kushwaha said.

At present, the state produces 71.70 tonnes of sugarcane against the national average of 70 tonnes per hectare.

Solomon said: “According to Sugar Vision 2030, the national average yield of sugarcane has been fixed at 110 tonnes per hectare while the national sugar recovery has been fixed at 11 per cent.” The MoU was signed considering the agriculture roadmap target, according to which the state aims to increase the sugar recovery rate by 13 per cent in the current fiscal and also to match the productivity rate of other high producing states.