ARTICLE 4

In a major step toward strengthening India’s bio‑fuel supply chain, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Maize Research (IIMR), Ludhiana, has developed an innovative intercropping system that integrates sugarcane with short‑duration maize. This model is designed to deliver year‑round feedstock for ethanol production, boost farmer incomes and optimize the use of land and agricultural inputs.

The Indian sugar industry is pressing the government to raise the target for ethanol blending in petrol from the current 20% (E20) to 27% (E27), citing unused capacity and investments made in ethanol production.

Fire Destroys 53 Acres of Sugar‑Cane Crop in Brahmni Village, Rahuri Taluka, Ahilyanagar District A major fire broke out on Monday afternoon in the sugar‑cane fields of Brahmni village in Rahuri taluka of Ahilyanagar district, completely destroying crop spread over approximately 53 acres.

According to a recent article, India is projected to consume 8 billion liters of ethanol by 2025. The projection comes from the Executive Director of the International Sugar Organization. This substantial increase in ethanol consumption is aligned with India’s efforts to blend more ethanol into petrol and reduce reliance on fossil fuel imports.

Maharashtra’s sugar mills are facing a serious dilemma as an increasing number of farmers are transporting their sugarcane to neighboring Karnataka for processing.

Sugar mills across several regions are reportedly scaling down the number of procurement centers due to ongoing delays in payments to sugarcane farmers. According to industry sources, mills struggling with liquidity issues have found it increasingly difficult to clear dues to growers on time.

India's ambitious push towards ethanol blending has seen a significant shift, with maize emerging as a central feedstock. The government's E20 program, aiming for a 20% ethanol blend in petrol by 2025, has accelerated this transformation.

Brazil’s long-standing biofuel industry has been built around sugar-cane ethanol via the Proálcool programme. Now, corn-based ethanol is rapidly growing, and analysts project that by around 2034, corn ethanol production capacity in Brazil could reach ≈ 24.7 billion litres, nearly matching sugar-cane ethanol’s projected ~25 billion litres.

Archaeologists have made an extraordinary discovery in Nahal ‘Amal: a hidden network of underground tunnels that once powered the sugar industry of the Mamluk Empire in the 14th–15th centuries. ⚒️🕰️These tunnels were ingeniously designed to channel brackish water 💧 to operate mechanical paddle wheels, which crushed sugarcane for processing.

“US Sugar Prices Hold Firm Amid Demand Uncertainty” — an insight from Sosland Publishing via the ‎CZ App. It reports that cash sugar sales in the U.S. are relatively steady, even though demand remains soft and global raw sugar futures are slipping.

New Energy Farms (NEF) is now providing on-mill production of synthetic seeds via licensing of its CEEDS™ technology in Brazil. CEEDS™ solves multiple problems, including reducing the high cost of field sugarcane seed production.

“Corn Growers Express Appreciation for Asian Markets Announcement” — NCGA press release on Oct 26, 2025. It states: “Eliminating tariffs on ethanol exports to Malaysia and Cambodia will boost demand.”