Pune: The sugar industry should move beyond sugar production and develop into a multiproduct biomass sector by converting sugarcane and its by-products into ethanol, biogas, bio-CNG and other value-added products, former Maharashtra minister Jayant Patil said, The Times of India reported.
Speaking at the 71st annual convention of the Deccan Sugar Technologies Association (DSTA) and the inauguration of a sugar exhibition, Patil said greater utilisation of biomass could help sugar mills create new revenue streams and strengthen their economic viability.
He urged the industry to treat sugarcane as a broader biomass resource rather than focusing primarily on sugar. Expanding into biofuels and other biomass-based products would allow mills to extract greater value from the crop and its by-products, he said.
Patil also called for wider adoption of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies to improve efficiency across sugar mill operations and support the industry’s transition towards diversified biomass-based production.
The DSTA convention brought together representatives from the sugar and technology sectors to discuss emerging technologies and opportunities for the industry’s future growth.
