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Informist, Saturday, Jul 27, 2024

 

--Food secy: Sugarcane not more water guzzling than maize or paddy 

--CONTEXT: Food Secy Chopra speaking at sugar conference

--Food secy: Recent farm min study shows sugarcane not as water guzzling

--G20 Sherpa Kant: Cane not water-efficient crop, precision farming must 

--Food secy: 2024-25 sugarcane area 5.8 mln ha vs 5.7 mln ha last year

--Food secy: 2024-25 sugar output likely to be higher

--Food secy: Sugarcane crop torch-bearer of circular economy

 

MUMBAI - Unlike often remarked, sugarcane crop does not require more water than paddy or maize in production of ethanol, Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said today. There is a misconception that amongst ethanol feedstock crops, sugarcane requires more water than the other two grain-based feedstocks, Chopra said at the All India Sugar Trade Association's Sugar and Bioenergy Conclave here.

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India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said that sugarcane is a water guzzling crop, and that the industry should promote precision farming. However, citing a recent agriculture ministry preliminary finding, Chopra stressed that sugarcane is a water-efficient crop for ethanol production.

 

"Once the analysis is confirmed by another committee of experts, we will publish (the report)," Chopra said. "...any misconception that is there in the public mind with regard to the water efficiency of sugarcane against other feedstocks for ethanol, I think that will be taken care of," he added.

 

Ethanol is made from starch-containing feedstocks like molasses and grains. Sugarcane juice, B-heavy molasses, and C-heavy molasses are sugarcane by-products obtained during sugar extraction.

 

About sugar output in 2024-25, Chopra said that on account of good rains, sugarcane sowing position looks good at 5.8 mln ha this year against 5.7 mln ha. "While it is still early days...I think we can look for a fairly healthy sugar production figures in 2024-25," he said. 

 

As of Apr 30, mills in the country produced 31.4 mln tn sugar. The Indian Sugar and Bio-energy Manufacturers Association, or ISMA, expects another 500,000-600,000 tn of sugar output from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in Jun-Sep, taking the total sugar output in the country to 32.0 mln tn this season, against 32.8 mln tn last year, it added.

 

Referring to the diverse use of sugarcane and its by-products, Chopra said, "I always call it the torch-bearer of the circular economy...everything in sugarcane is being put to use." Apart from sugar, cane also yields other by-products like molasses, ethanol, potash, press-mud, bagasse, and power generated from bagasse.

 

Potash is derived from molasses and sold to fertiliser companies to earn additional revenue and claim subsidies. Press-mud is the residue of the filtration of sugarcane juice, which is also used as a fertiliser.  End

 

Reported by Afra Abubacker

Edited by Vandana Hingorani

 

 

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