ARTICLE 2 #SustainableFarming

India is witnessing a sharp rise in maize cultivation, largely driven by the push towards ethanol blending with petrol under the government’s E20 programme. The move is changing crop patterns, impacting other agricultural sectors, and setting up both opportunities and challenges.

India’s first cooperative-based Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant, developed by Sahakar Maharshi Shankarrao Kolhe Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana in Kopargaon, Maharashtra, is set to be inaugurated on October 5, 2025, at 1:30 PM at Sanjivani University Ground. The inauguration will be attended by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and other prominent leaders. In addition to the CBG plant, the event will also mark the launch of a Spray Dryer and a Potash Granule manufacturing facility, furthering the cooperative's commitment to sustainable energy and agricultural innovation.

Maharashtra, India — In a landmark step toward green energy, Maharashtra has inaugurated India’s first cooperative multi‑feed Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant, with plans to replicate the model in 15 more cooperative sugar mills across the country.

The sugar industry is facing a growing crisis as a significant portion of harvested cane continues to arrive at mills already burnt, jeopardizing both sugar quality and export market access. According to industry officials, more than 60% of cane supplied to mills this season has been burnt, either deliberately or due to accidental fires in the fields.