Empowering Farmers

Simbhaoli is committed to boosting the earning capacity of farmers.

Our aim is to improve crop quality and yield by empowering farmers to adopt the best agricultural practices. The sugar units work closely with farmers at each stage of the crop cycle: soil and seed management, fertilizer and insecticide uses, ratoon management, selection of agri inputs, maintaining the proper balance between the early, mid and late ripening varieties and harvesting cycles.


Multi-Cropping

Another initiative we have initiated recently is multi-cropping (growing of vegetables along with sugarcane). Sugarcane is being grown with wheat, potato, peas, garlic, cabbage, radish, onion, cucumber, okra, Indian apple gourd, mustard and marigold. This initiative is helping farmers increase land productivity, hedge risks against crop failure, enhance cane yield (up by 15-20 MT/hectare), replenish the nutrients in the soil and boost income (an additional income of Rs. 40,000 per hectare is quite common). By 2012, we plan to increase the multi-cropping acreage to 5000 acres, targeting over 7000 farmers.


Sugarcane Development Activities

Programmes for achieving varietal balance

• Promoting early ripening, high-sugared varieties


• Organizing workshops, meets and field trials under Institute-Industry interface

Programmes for boosting yield

• Ratoon Management


• Holding demonstration trials at the doorstep of the farmer


• Organising training programmes for farmers


• Arranging facilities for soil testing by establishing mobile soil testing labs


• Promotes use of micro nutrients/bio manure

Programme for selecting high quality clones

• Check the suitability of high sugared clones in the local environment


• Organizing the varietals trials with variety-wise cane growth observations

Measures for controlling insects, pests and diseases

• Arranging insecticides and pesticides to farmers at subsidized rates


• Conducting various awareness and demo campaigns


• Giving cash subsidy to Cane Development Council for distribution of insecticides, pesticides and agriculture equipment

Biological Control

• Establishment of biological lab for rearing the parasite/fungal to control various borers and diseases

Computerized Sugarcane Management System

At Simbhaoli, the entire system of field survey planning, bonding, scheduling of supply tickets, procurement and delivery of the harvested crop and payments has been computerized. Payments are credited directly into the bank accounts of farmers, thereby ensuring a speedy and fair settlement of dues. Radio connectivity links the plants with the divisional offices and farmer service centres in the cane areas - providing farmers real-time information at their fingertips! The farmers can access information about their land holdings, cane varieties, supply tickets, payments and loan adjustment details as well. We are also promoting the latest technological advances amongst cane growers.