COIMBATORE: The ICAR–Sugarcane Breeding Institute (ICAR-SBI), Coimbatore, has launched a training programme to increase sugarcane farming among tribal communities in the Sittilingi Valley in Dharmapuri district.
He said sugarcane area in Dharmapuri had declined from 7,000 hectares in 2011 to 2,674 hectares in 2024-25, with cultivation impacted by drought, water scarcity, labour issues and white grub infestation.
Dr D Puthira Prathap, principal scientist and nodal officer, said an ICAR-SBI team visited Sittilingi Valley in April, where Malayali tribal farmers cultivate sugarcane and supply cane to the Subramaniya Siva Co-operative Sugar Mills, Harur . While tribal participation in sugarcane farming remains limited in Tamil Nadu , Dharmapuri records good sugar recovery, prompting a focus on drought management, white grub control and appropriate mechanisation, according to him. Based on field interactions and constraints flagged by farmers, the institute structured the training in two phases to improve productivity and address location-specific issues.