The Hindu Business Line : Bio-fuels to be brought under the ambit of ‘declared goods’

New Delhi, Aug. 22 The Government is pushing to implement the deadline for implementing mandatory blending of 10 per cent ethanol in petrol to next year. The Union Minister for Agriculture and Consumer Affairs and Chairman, Group of Minister National Biofuel Policy, Mr Sharad Pawar, said: “This year, sugarcane production is an issue. We will examine the sugarcane acreage in November. But I am confident that next year we will be able to implement it.”

Mr Pawar was talking on the sidelines of a bio-fuel summit organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries here.

He said that while 5 per cent blending of ethanol has been made mandatory expect in Jammu and Kashmir and some north-eastern States, availability will be an issue that will have to be looked into to increase the blending norms up to 10 per cent in petrol.

Mr Pawar also said: “We are looking to bring bio-diesel and bio-ethanol under the ambit of ‘declared goods’, which will help in unrestricted movement of the bio-fuel within and outside the States. Though, the States are not very happy to surrender their rights, I think they will have no choice.”

Mr Pawar said the open market sale of wheat would begin next week and the Centre would sell 50-60 lakh tonnes.

Around 77 per cent of the country’s oil requirement is met through imports. The Government has already permitted the sugar industry to produce ethanol directly from sugarcane juice to increase its availability.

Meanwhile, the project manager for Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, Mr Eduardo de F Caldas said, his country was looking forward to partner with Indian companies and sugarcane growers and share the Brazilian experience and technology to use sugarcane for different purposes including ethanol and bio-electricity generation.

It was also open to initiate discussions on their experiences with auto makers on flex fuel cars, which can run on petrol and very high content of ethanol.

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