“The Sugarcane Farming has the potential to play a major role in boosting crop diversification and bringing the farming sector out of the present tough times for which the Punjab Government is going to establish a state of the art Sugarcane Research and Training Institute at Kalanaur which would encourage sugarcane farming and dwell on modern techniques.” This was disclosed here today at Punjab Bhawan by the Cooperation Minister, Punjab, S. Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa after presiding over a meeting of the scientists as well as experts working with the top notch sugarcane institutes.S. Randhawa further said that in order to give fillip to the sugarcane farming, under the directions of the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, a world level modern institute would be set up which would go a long way in revolutionizing the sugarcane farming sector with new and innovative techniques leading to further augmentation of the income of farmers, and increasing the sugarcane production. He also said that it was with the intention of opening such an institute that a team of sugarcane farming experts visited the Vasant Dada Institute in Pune and today’s meeting dwelled upon the report prepared by the team that visited the institute. He also said that it was also decided in the meeting to form a 5 member team which would give its report on the setting up of the institute within a fortnight. The team includes Director of the Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore Dr. Bakshi Ram, Vice Chancellor of the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana Dr. B.S. Dhillon, Advisor to National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Limited Mr. R.B. Dole, MD Sugarfed Mr. Davinder Singh, and MD Rana Sugar Mills Rana Inder Pratap Singh.The Minister also said that adopting crop diversification is need of the hour to save farming sector and the ground water.
He also said that the sugarcane farming can prove to be a boon for the farmers of Punjab and establishing such an institute is absolutely necessary for carrying out ultra modern research. He further added that the institute would increase the yield of sugarcane manifold.During the course of the meeting, the certificate to the Punjab Sugarcane Club formed by the Sugarfed was also issued. The club would have as members atleast 50 progressive sugarcane farmers, GMs and CCDOs. Apart from this, it is also proposed to co-opt as members some officers, Representatives of the PAU Ludhiana as well as the Cane Commissioner. The club would work for the welfare of the sugarcane farmers of Punjab and would ensure the training of the sugarcane farmers as per the exchange of expertise in the sugarcane farming with the other states of country. The club would also make sure that the benefits of the subsidies given by the Union and the State Government reach the sugarcane farmers besides conveying the problems being faced by the latter to the government.Among others present on the occasion included the Political Secretary to the Chief Minister-Captain Sandeep Singh Sandhu, MLAs Mr. Kulbir Singh Zira and Mr. Barindermeet Singh Pahra, Additional Chief Secretary (Cooperation) Mr. Viswajeet Khanna, Registrar Cooperative Societies Mr. Vikas Garg, Secretary (Expenditure) Mr. V.N. Zade, MD Sugarfed Mr. Davinder Singh, Director Sugarcane Breeding Institute Coimbatore Dr. Bakshi Ram, VC Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana Dr. B.S. Dhillon, Advisor to the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Fcatories Limited Mr. R.B. Dole, Cane Commissioner Mr. Jaswant Singh, MD Rana Sugar Mill Rana Inder Pratap Singh, Dr. S.K. Thind , Assistant Cane Commissioner Mr. Vijay Kumar, Dr. Gulzar Singh Sanghera, General Manager Sugarfed Mr. Harbaksh Singh, Deputy Chief Engineer Mr. Kanwaljit Singh and Dr. S.P. Singh.