Expanding ethanol production from grain: A key priority for Modi 3.0, says Arushi Jain of GEMA
The Modi Government’s Ethanol Blending Programme aims to boost ethanol production using grains like maize and surplus FCI rice. Arushi Jain of Gulshan Polyols stresses the need for increased maize cultivation, suggesting discounted seeds and better storage facilities to meet ethanol targets. Despite a ban on ethanol from surplus rice, Jain advocates lifting it to achieve a 20% blending goal by 2025-2026 and urges for realistic ethanol pricing and a stable long-term policy for grain-based ethanol production.
The Ethanol Blending Programme has been one of the top agenda of the Modi Government. In addition to ethanol production from sugar and molasses based feedstocks, the Government allowed ethanol production from grain- mainly damaged grain, maize and surplus FCI rice, in order to increase ethanol production in the country.
In November 2020, the Government approved the National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC) to utilise maize for ethanol production. By January 2021, the Government included grain-based distilleries under its interest subvention scheme to enhance capacity creation.
As the new Government takes over the reins, there are expectations of grain-based distilleries to augment maize production in the country and provide seamless access to feedstocks.
Arushi Jain, Joint MD, Gulshan Polyols, one of the significant contributors to the country’s grain-based ethanol space and Jt. Secretary, Grain Ethanol Manufacturers Association (GEMA), emphasises that increasing maize production should be a top priority.
“Presently the maize cultivation in the country is not sufficient to support 500 cr lt ethanol production only from maize. The Government should give attention to farmers and support them to increase maize cultivation- like providing seeds at discounted rates, creating proper infrastructure like storage facilities etc. this will boost maize production in the country, and achieve targets set by the Government,” Jain stated.
The Government last year, imposed a ban on ethanol production from surplus FCI rice to ensure sufficient domestic availability. Jain believes that until maize production increases, the Government should revoke the ban on supply of surplus FCI rice for ethanol production and restore its initial policy to produce ethanol from surplus FCI rice. This will help the country achieve a 20% ethanol blending target by 2025-2026.
Jain said that one of the important goals of the Ethanol Blending Programme was to augment income of the farmers. “The Government should allow realistic costing of ethanol produced from maize. This will give the intended maize MSP to the farmer and also help recover input costs of the grain-based distillery plants.”
“A stable and long-term ethanol policy is needed to provide confidence to producers. I urge the Government to consider this. Increasing ethanol demand requires a national policy to introduce flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) on the roads,” Jain concluded.
Source Link : https://www.chinimandi.com/expanding-ethanol-production-from-grain-a-key-priority-for-modi-3-0-says-arushi-jain-of-gema/
