Farmers Back Ethanol Push, Seek Farmer-Centric Policy

• AIKCC farmer leaders voiced strong support for ethanol production.
• Farmers sought fair crop prices and direct benefits from the ethanol programme.
• Chouhan assured that farmers’ interests would remain central to policy decisions.
• Farmer groups and government agreed on the need to counter misinformation with facts.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 5th Aug: Farmer leaders from across India have voiced strong support for ethanol, describing it as a new opportunity for agriculture that could increase farm incomes while strengthening the country’s energy security.

A delegation of the All India Kisan Coordination Committee (AIKCC) met Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at Krishi Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday and discussed ethanol, farmers’ income, Minimum Support Price (MSP), agricultural markets and the National Agriculture Policy.

The delegation included farmer representatives from Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and other parts of the country.

Farmers See New Market in Ethanol
During the meeting, farmer leaders said they strongly support ethanol but stressed that the policy must remain farmer-centric and ensure that appropriate prices for crops reach cultivators directly.

They said ethanol production from sugarcane, maize, rice and other feedstocks could create an additional market for agricultural produce beyond traditional mandis by connecting farms directly with the country’s growing energy market.

According to the farmer representatives, increased demand for ethanol feedstocks could provide farmers with more buyers while helping address problems related to crop storage and wastage.

The delegation maintained that ethanol should create a new pathway for agriculture rather than become an additional concern for cultivators.

AIKCC Calls for Countering Ethanol ‘Misinformation’
Farmer leaders also raised concerns about what they described as misinformation surrounding ethanol, including claims about its impact on vehicles and agriculture.

They called upon the Agriculture Ministry and farmer organisations to jointly communicate scientific facts about ethanol and explain how different crops could benefit from the programme.

The representatives also suggested using reels, short videos and grassroots meetings to reach younger audiences and promote awareness about shifting from water-intensive crops towards more drought-tolerant alternatives.

Chouhan Assures Farmer-Centric Approach

Chouhan assured the delegation that the Central Government would seriously consider farmers’ views while shaping policies related to ethanol.

He said the government’s objective was to ensure that benefits from the ethanol programme extend across the entire value chain, from farms to fuel tanks, with farmers’ interests receiving priority.

The Agriculture Minister also assured the delegation that policies would be reviewed to maintain an appropriate balance between prices and demand for maize, rice, sugarcane and other ethanol feedstocks, with particular attention to the interests of maize farmers.

Chouhan said scientific studies and technical reports would be used to address negative narratives surrounding ethanol and promote fact-based discussions in partnership with farmers.

The AIKCC delegation said it would take the message to villages and work with the government to address misconceptions about ethanol through facts and ground-level experiences.

Chouhan, meanwhile, reiterated that farmer organisations should be viewed as partners in policymaking and said the government would work towards a framework that strengthens farmers, national energy security and the agricultural economy.