{"id":491,"date":"2026-08-06T16:18:30","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T16:18:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sblivenews.com\/?p=491"},"modified":"2026-08-06T16:18:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T16:18:30","slug":"sugarcane-farmers-body-urges-pm-modi-to-stay-firm-on-ethanol-policy-amid-opposition-pushback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sblivenews.com\/?p=491","title":{"rendered":"Sugarcane Farmers Body Urges PM Modi to Stay Firm on Ethanol Policy Amid Opposition Pushback"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Meta Title:<\/strong> ISFA Urges PM Modi to Hold Firm on Ethanol Policy | Full Story Meta Description:<\/strong> The Indian Sugarcane Farmers Association has asked PM Modi to resist pressure from opposition parties and the petroleum lobby and continue backing ethanol blending. Here’s what the letter says. Suggested URL slug:<\/strong> \/isfa-urges-pm-modi-ethanol-policy Focus keyword:<\/strong> ISFA ethanol policy PM Modi Secondary keywords:<\/strong> Kurubur Shanthakumar, ethanol blending India, sugarcane farmers ethanol, E20 fuel policy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mysuru:<\/strong> The Indian Sugarcane Farmers Association (ISFA) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking the central government to hold its ground on ethanol policy rather than bowing to pressure from opposition parties or the petroleum industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the Letter Says<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

<cite index=”1-1″>The letter urges the central government to protect farmers’ interests and stay committed to its ethanol policy despite pushback from opposition parties.<\/cite> The appeal was sent by Kurubur Shanthakumar, who heads ISFA at the national level and also leads the Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers Association. He <cite index=”2-1″>sent separate letters \u2014 one in English to the Prime Minister and another in Kannada to the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution<\/cite>, reinforcing the same message through both channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his letter, Shanthakumar welcomed the government’s ongoing push to expand ethanol output from crops <cite index=”1-1″>such as sugarcane, paddy, and maize<\/cite>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farmer Body Pushes Back on “Engine Damage” Claims<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A central theme of the letter is a direct rebuttal to critics of ethanol-blended fuel. Shanthakumar <cite index=”2-1″>dismissed claims that ethanol blending harms vehicle engines or lowers mileage as misleading, arguing they serve the interests of overseas petroleum producers<\/cite> rather than Indian consumers or farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Economic Case for Ethanol<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The letter leans heavily on the financial upside of a stronger ethanol push. According to Shanthakumar, <cite index=”2-1″>deeper ethanol blending could cut India’s crude oil import bill by close to Rs 4 lakh crore, freeing up funds that could instead go toward infrastructure development<\/cite>. He argues this would simultaneously <cite index=”1-1″>raise farmer incomes, lift the country’s per capita income, and move India closer to energy self-sufficiency<\/cite>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn’t the first time Shanthakumar has cited big numbers around ethanol’s potential. Earlier this year, after the Centre approved 100% ethanol (E100) as an alternative fuel, he pointed to remarks by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari suggesting the policy <cite index=”4-1″>could eventually help India save as much as \u20b922 lakh crore in foreign exchange<\/cite>, while also creating fresh demand for sugarcane and maize growers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Two-Decade-Old Demand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For Karnataka’s sugarcane farmers, this isn’t a new ask. Shanthakumar has <cite index=”4-1″>traced the demand for ethanol-as-fuel back to a resolution passed at the South India Farmers’ Convention in Mysuru in 2006<\/cite>, calling the government’s more recent moves on E100 approval the payoff of nearly twenty years of sustained lobbying by farmer groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why This Debate Is Heating Up Now<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The letter lands amid a broader political tussle over India’s ethanol-blending programme. Opposition leaders have recently sharpened their attacks \u2014 Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, for instance, alleged that <cite index=”6-1″>of the roughly 627 crore litres of ethanol produced under the policy, 56% came from sugarcane and the rest from grain, with none yet sourced from the municipal waste and biomass that was originally promised<\/cite>. Khera also cited a NITI Aayog admission that <cite index=”6-1″>blending has reduced vehicle mileage by around six percent<\/cite> \u2014 the very claim ISFA’s letter pushes back against.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bigger Picture<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ethanol blending has been a recurring theme in the Modi government’s energy strategy for years. At a 2024 poll rally in Meerut, the PM said <cite index=”8-1″>sugarcane farmers had received roughly Rs 70,000 crore over the preceding decade as ethanol production from sugarcane scaled up<\/cite>, framing the policy as a way to turn sugarcane belts into “energy belts.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At the same time, sugarcane growers in Karnataka have continued to face separate, more immediate pressures \u2014 from delayed mill payments to drought conditions affecting standing crops \u2014 issues that add urgency to ISFA’s push for policy stability on the ethanol front.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Points at a Glance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  • Who:<\/strong> Indian Sugarcane Farmers Association (ISFA), led by Kurubur Shanthakumar<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • What:<\/strong> Letter to PM Modi urging continued government support for ethanol policy<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Why it matters:<\/strong> Farmer income, reduced crude oil imports, energy self-sufficiency<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Opposition’s counter:<\/strong> Claims of engine damage, reduced mileage, and unmet biomass-ethanol promises<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Backdrop:<\/strong> Government’s ethanol-blending push, including the recent E100 approval<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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    FAQ<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Q: What is ISFA asking Prime Minister Modi to do?<\/strong> A: ISFA wants the central government to continue promoting ethanol production and blending without giving in to opposition criticism or pressure from petroleum companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Q: What crops does India’s ethanol programme rely on?<\/strong> A: Mainly sugarcane, along with grains such as paddy and maize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Q: What do critics say about ethanol-blended fuel?<\/strong> A: Opposition leaders and some organisations claim it reduces vehicle mileage and can damage engines \u2014 claims ISFA calls misleading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Q: How much could India save through ethanol blending, according to ISFA?<\/strong> A: Shanthakumar’s letter cites potential foreign exchange savings of nearly Rs 4 lakh crore from reduced crude oil imports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Sources: Deccan Herald, ChiniMandi, Tribune India, PM India official website.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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