India’s Ethanol Push Raises Questions About Sugar Supplies

India wants to mix more ethanol into petrol.

This is called an ethanol-blending programme.

Using more ethanol could help India buy less oil from other countries.

But much of India’s ethanol comes from sugarcane.

Sugarcane can be used to make either sugar or ethanol.

The same crop cannot produce the most of both at the same time.

If more cane goes to ethanol, less sugar may reach the market.

This creates a choice between saving money on oil imports and protecting sugar supplies.