Farmers Support Ethanol Programme, Seek Direct Price Benefits in Meeting with Chouhan

NEW DELHI: A group of farmers from seven states met Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday and expressed support for the ethanol programme, even as protests continue against the use of E20 bio-fuel in vehicles. The farmers said ethanol can boost their income and strengthen the country's energy security, provided the policy is designed with farmers at the centre.

The delegation, organised under the Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Samanvay Samiti, told the minister that ethanol offers a major opportunity for agriculture. They stressed that the benefits of the programme must reach farmers directly, rather than being limited to companies or middlemen. They also called for fair prices for all feedstock crops, including sugarcane, maize and rice.

According to data shared at the meeting, sugarcane accounts for roughly 30-35 per cent of India's total ethanol production, while grains such as maize and rice contribute the remaining 65-70 per cent.

Farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu attended the meeting. They said ethanol would create a new market for farm produce beyond traditional mandis, extending to petrol pumps and the energy sector. This, they argued, would increase competition among buyers and reduce crop spoilage and storage issues.

“We want the ethanol policy to create a new path for farming, not a new worry for us. We are with ethanol, if ethanol also stays with us,” the farmer representatives said.

The farmers also requested that the agriculture ministry and farmer organisations jointly clarify which crops would benefit from ethanol, and how a transition could be made from water-intensive crops to drought-tolerant varieties.

In response, Chouhan said the central government's approach is clear: the benefits of the ethanol programme should reach the entire chain from field to fuel tank, with the largest share going to farmers. He assured that the policy would be reviewed to maintain a balance in the prices and demand of maize, rice, sugarcane and other feedstock.

The minister said decisions would be taken keeping farmers' interests in mind, particularly those of maize growers. He also said the government would counter the negative narrative on ethanol through scientific studies and technical reports, and would engage in fact-based dialogue in partnership with farmer organisations.

The meeting comes at a time when the E20 bio-fuel mix, which blends 20 per cent ethanol with petrol, has faced criticism from some quarters. Farmers' support for the programme adds a key perspective to the ongoing debate, highlighting the potential economic benefits for the agricultural sector.