Ethanol Production and Use Seen Boosting Sugar Industry’s Outlook
15-Sep-2025 02:10 PM
Pune. The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways has said that the sugar industry is actually alive due to the production and marketing of ethanol.
There is a need to increase the use of new technology for sugarcane cultivation. According to the Union Minister, the case of farmers' suicide in Vidarbha and Marathwada divisions of Maharashtra is mainly related to the lack of water for farming. He also praised the efforts being made by an organization for the conservation of water and the welfare of the children of farmers who committed suicide.
According to the Highway Minister, if farmers had sufficient water available for irrigation of their crops, they would not have been forced to commit suicide.
It is necessary to increase the use of new technology in the agricultural sector and experiments have also started in this regard.
Ethanol is helping in reducing petroleum imports in the country. Fossil fuel (petroleum) worth about Rs 22 lakh crore is imported annually.
At present, the existence of sugarcane cultivation and the activity of sugar mills is maintained only due to ethanol. There is a surplus production of sugar in the country and the mills are getting a lot of support from the ethanol business in keeping their financial management strong. It is expected to remain strong on this basis in the future as well.
It is worth mentioning that at the beginning of the current month, the media in-charge of Congress had said that the Road Transport and Highways Minister is launching ethanol production due to his personal and vested interests.
The minister's two sons are associated with such firms which are engaged in the production and business of ethanol and are getting huge financial benefits from the favorable government policy.
By the way, the BJP has rejected this allegation saying that the Congress is making false allegations without any concrete evidence and documents, which have no truth in it.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had rejected the petition to stop the program of mixing 20 percent ethanol in petrol at the national level.