Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has called on the Centre to significantly increase ethanol blending in petrol, saying the move could strengthen energy security and improve farmers’ income.
Naidu has proposed raising the blending limit from the current 20 per cent to 40 per cent. He conveyed the request to Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and said he had already written to the central government on the issue, Deccan Chronicle reported..
Citing examples of countries like Brazil, where ethanol blending is much higher, Naidu said India should move faster towards higher blending levels to reduce dependence on crude oil imports and ease pressure on foreign exchange.
He pointed out that the existing ethanol blending programme has already helped the country save nearly Rs 1.1 lakh crore in foreign exchange and reduce carbon emissions by around 500 lakh tonnes. According to him, farmers across the country are currently earning Rs 87,558 crore through the initiative, and increasing the blending ratio would further raise their income.
The Chief Minister highlighted that Andhra Pradesh is a major producer of maize and said higher ethanol blending would increase demand for the crop, as it is widely used in ethanol production.
However, he expressed concern over falling maize prices. Despite a minimum support price of Rs 2,400 per quintal, procurement is not taking place at that rate, leading to open market prices dropping to Rs 1,700–Rs 1,800 per quintal and causing losses to farmers.
Naidu urged the Centre to take an early decision on increasing ethanol blending to protect the interests of both farmers and the country. He also said he had discussed the matter with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a recent visit to New Delhi.
