You can now have your ethanol and food too

Ethanol is being globally promoted as a possible substitute to fossil fuel whose prices have doubled in past three years. India imports most of its crude oil need and pays a hefty Rs 1,60,000 crore bill every year for that. But while the government has acknowledged ethanol’s benefits since 2001, there is still no clear policy to promote ethanol.

The biofuel is also a favourite of the green groups as it is a renewable source of energy and contains 35% oxygen that helps complete combustion of fuel, reducing harmful emissions.

In the Andhra village project, Icrisat’s scientific input and Rusni Distilleries’ enterprise is being complemented by grassroots organisation Aakrithi Agricultural Associates of India. The group is popularising the hybrids among farmers.

Sweet sorghum has other benefits over sugarcane and maize as feedstock for ethanol production. It requires only half the water required to grow maize and around one-eighth of the water required to grow sugarcane. It has the lowest cost of cultivation, around a fifth of what it takes to grow cane.

Icrisat’s sorghum breeders have developed hybrids that can be planted at any time of the year, thus ensuring the supply of sorghum beyond the kharif season. With monsoon approaching, Aakrithi has launched a campaign to cover at least 4,000 acres this season.