Maize becomes top feedstock for ethanol production

Maize has become the most important crop used to make ethanol in India.

This change has happened over the last six years.

In the ethanol supply year 2024-25, 13.11 million tonnes of maize were used, compared to 5 million tonnes of rice.

In the next year, 6.79 million tonnes of maize and 5.4 million tonnes of rice were used.

The government says using different crops for ethanol helps farmers and makes the industry more stable.

The Food Corporation of India sells rice to ethanol makers at a price lower than what it costs to buy and store it.

The sugar industry says that only 28% of ethanol comes from sugar-based sources, showing a big shift away from traditional crops.