Sangli: Sugar industry should focus on ethanol production to remain financially viable, said former Union minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar. He was speaking at an event organized in Sangli on Saturday.
Addressing the gathering, Pawar said, “Sugar mills should set up distilleries in their premises to produce ethanol as we cannot depend only on sugar production. This will help them to clear a one-time FRP to the cane farmers which is one of the major demands of farmers’ leader Raju Shetti.”
“The Union government has unveiled a policy to encourage ethanol production and has set a target of 20 per cent ethanol blending with petrol by 2025. The sugar mills can avail this opportunity by producing ethanol and also improve their financial situation,” he further added.
NCP chief said, “Mills bear the burden of storing sugar for one year and sell it in the market as and when needed. This increases the burden of the loan and interest on it. In the case of ethanol, payment from its sale can be recovered in two months,”.
