Tuesday, 10 June 2025
Vasantdada Sugar Institute signs MoU with Baramati Agricultural Development Trust to boost agricultural collaboration
In a major push to modernize sugarcane cultivation, the Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Agricultural Development Trust (ADT), Baramati, on Monday to promote the widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the sector.
The initiative brings together key stakeholders—including the Maharashtra State Cooperative Sugar Factory Federation and the West India Sugar Mills Association—to scale up AI adoption and address persistent productivity gaps in sugarcane farming.
Speaking at the MoU signing, VSI President and former Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar emphasized the urgent need to boost per-acre yields. “With most factories struggling to get enough sugarcane, the crushing seasons have become shorter, affecting operational efficiency and financial viability. The only sustainable solution is to improve yield, and AI will be a key driver of that change,” he said.
The Agricultural Development Trust has already been experimenting with AI-based solutions under Project FarmVibes, a Microsoft Research initiative that uses data-driven technologies to optimize farm practices. The project, supported by experts including Ajit Gavkar from the University of Oxford and Dr. Ranveer Chandra of Microsoft, is already showing promising results in Baramati.
With this MoU, VSI and ADT aim to take the success of the Baramati experiment statewide—empowering farmers to use AI tools to improve sugarcane productivity, reduce costs, and boost profitability.
