Andhra Pradesh: Naidu pushes for 40% ethanol blend in petrol
N. Chandrababu Naidu urged India’s Centre to raise ethanol blending from 20% to 40%, citing ₹1.1 lakh crore forex savings, 500 lakh tonne emission cuts, and ₹87,558 crore farmer earnings. He said higher blending would boost maize demand and support farmers facing low market prices.
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has urged the central government to double the ethanol blending limit in petrol from the current 20 per cent to 40 per cent, arguing the move would reduce India’s dependence on crude oil imports, conserve foreign exchange, and benefit farmers growing sugarcane and maize, Deccan Chronicle reported.
Naidu made the request directly to Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and indicated he had already written to the Centre on the matter. Referring to countries such as Brazil, where ethanol blending levels are significantly higher, the Chief Minister argued that India should move more aggressively towards higher blending ratios to strengthen energy security and ease the burden of petroleum imports.
Naidu said the existing ethanol blending programme had already enabled the country to save nearly Rs 1.1 lakh crore in foreign exchange and cut carbon emissions by approximately 500 lakh tonnes. He added that farmers across the country were collectively earning Rs 87,558 crore through the current blending initiative and said that expanding the ethanol mix further would generate additional income for agricultural communities.
The Chief Minister highlighted Andhra Pradesh’s role as a large-scale maize producer and said that a higher blending target would substantially increase demand for the crop, given its importance as a primary raw material in ethanol production. He expressed concern, however, that maize farmers were currently not benefiting from the government-set Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 2,400 per quintal, as procurement at that rate was not taking place on the ground. As a result, open market prices for maize had fallen to between Rs 1,700 and Rs 1,800 per quintal, according to the report, causing significant losses for growers.
Naidu called on the Centre to take an early decision on raising the blending ratio in order to protect the interests of both the country and its farming community. He disclosed that he had raised the issue with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a recent visit to New Delhi.
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Source : ChiniMandi
