Pune: Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said that ethanol production has been a lifeline for sugarcane farmers and sugar mills in Maharashtra, reported The Times of India.
Speaking at the tenth anniversary of the Naam Foundation, started by actors Nana Patekar and Makarand Anaspure for watershed management and drought relief, Gadkari said that the sugar industry was under severe strain but survived because of ethanol. He added that work is underway to produce isobutanol as an alternative to diesel, and that plans are being drawn up to create sustainable aviation fuel from biogas.
He pointed out that sugar production in India is much costlier than in Brazil. While the cost in Brazil is about Rs. 27 per kg, in Maharashtra it is around Rs. 32-33. “Brazil can sell sugar internationally at around Rs. 30, but our mills lose Rs. 2-3 per kg,” he said. Without ethanol, nearly 90% of sugar mills in western Maharashtra would have faced closure, Gadkari noted.
He urged farmers to think beyond food crops. “If farmers start producing fuel, electricity, aviation fuel, bitumen and hydrogen, along with food, villages will prosper,” he said.
According to him, the use of corn for ethanol has also given farmers better prices. Rates have risen from Rs. 1,200 per quintal to Rs. 2,800 per quintal, and production has tripled in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra, where farmers take three crops a year.
On broader issues, Gadkari stressed the need for better water management to improve farming and rural life. He said disputes between states on sharing river water had created complications, but most of the 23 conflicts have now been resolved. He added that boosting irrigation by 65% and increasing milk production could address many challenges faced by farmers in Maharashtra.
Later in the day, at another programme organised by Geeta Dharma Mandal, Gadkari was honoured. While addressing the gathering, he suggested using modern tools like videos and reels to share the teachings of the Bhagavad Geeta with the youth. He said this could help them understand the meaning of life and politics. “Politics should focus more on social reforms than on power. The real problem today is not disagreement, but the absence of ideas,” he remarked.
