"Maize, Rice or Sugarcane: The Ethanol Feedstock Dilemma"
Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme
government scheme mixing ethanol with petrol to cut crude oil imports.
E20
mandatory blending target of 20% ethanol in petrol.
India's Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme began in 2003 to cut crude oil imports and support sugar mills by giving them an additional revenue stream from molasses. The National Policy on Biofuels, 2018 widened the permitted feedstock basket beyond sugarcane molasses to include surplus rice, maize, and other grains, allowing distilleries to draw on Food Corporation of India (FCI) stocks. It also classified biofuels into Generation 1, based on sugar and grain crops, and Generation 2, based on agricultural residues. Because sugarcane alone could not sustain higher blending targets, policy attention shifted toward grains, and India reached the E20 blending target in 2025, ahead of schedule.
Globally, the two largest ethanol producers show two different feedstock models. The United States is the world's largest ethanol producer and relies mainly on corn, while Brazil, the second largest, relies mainly on sugarcane. India's current shift toward maize mirrors the American corn-based model rather than the Brazilian cane-based one. However, this comparison has a limit: American corn cultivation benefits from mechanised, high-yield temperate farming, while Indian maize output still depends on rain-fed and smaller landholdings, so scaling up maize for fuel use puts a different kind of strain on domestic resources, particularly water.
The renewed feedstock debate has resurfaced because sugar prices have risen in a normal cyclical dip in cane output. Since sugarcane is both a sugar crop and an ethanol feedstock, any output dip reopens the question of which crop should be diverted, and how much, without disturbing food supply.
The choice of feedstock rests on three linked factors: yield, cost, and water use. Maize gives the highest ethanol yield, around 380-400 litres per tonne, followed by rice at 370-385 litres, and sugarcane at only 220-280 litres per tonne. On cost, maize is far cheaper, around Rs 20,000-21,000 per tonne, compared with roughly Rs 37,000-39,000 per tonne for rice and sugar. This combination makes maize the most commercially attractive feedstock for distilleries.
Water intensity reverses none of this preference; if anything, it reinforces it. …
Consider the following statements:
1.Maize can be used for the production of starch.
2.Oil extracted from maize can be a feedstock for biodiesel.
3.Alcoholic beverages can be produced by using maize.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following materials:
1.Agricultural residues
2.Corn grain
3.Wastewater treatment sludge
4.Wood mill waste
Which of the above can be used as feedstock for producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel?
With reference to the usefulness of the by-products of sugar industry, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1.Bagasse can be used as biomass fuel for the generation of energy.
2.Molasses can be used as one of the feedstocks for the production of synthetic chemical fertilizers.
3.Molasses can be used for the production of ethanol.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
Consider the following statements:
Statement I: Of the two major ethanol producers in the world, i.e., Brazil and the United States of America, the former produces more ethanol than the latter.
Statement II: Unlike in the United States of America where corn is the principal feedstock for ethanol production, sugarcane is the principal feedstock for ethanol production in Brazil.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Which of the following factors/policies were affecting the price of rice in India in the recent past?
1.Minimum Support Price
2.Government's trading
3.Government's stockpiling
4.Consumer subsidies
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Match List-I (Ethanol Feedstock) with List-II (Approximate Ethanol Yield per tonne) and select the correct answer using the codes given below:
List-I:
A.Maize
B.Rice
C.Sugarcane
List-II:
1.220-280 litres
2.370-385 litres
3.380-400 litres
Consider the following statements regarding water requirement of ethanol feedstocks in India:
1.Producing 1 kg of maize requires less water than producing 1 kg of sugarcane.
2.Rice requires the highest water use among the three major ethanol feedstocks.
3.Sugarcane requires more water than maize but less than rice.
How many of the above statements are correct?
With reference to genetically modified (GM) crops in India, consider the following statements:
1.GM maize is approved for commercial cultivation in India.
2.Bt cotton is currently the only GM crop approved for commercial cultivation in India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements about demand for maize in India:
1.Livestock and poultry feed accounts for the largest single share of maize demand.
2.Industrial use of maize is mainly for starch production.
3.Ethanol production is currently the largest source of maize demand.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
In India's current ethanol supply mix under the National Policy on Biofuels, which of the following best describes the approximate feedstock composition?
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