Infrastructure

Please Review,

Thank You.

KEY POINTS

·         India’s plan to triple the production of bio-fuels in four years is an ambitious and a positive move to reduce the excessive dependence on imports for meeting the energy needs.

·         But the proposal to use various kinds of farm produce — and not just agricultural wastes — for this purpose is not beyond dispute.

Concerns with the plan

·         Production – It is proposed to use various kinds of farm produce and not just agricultural wastes for this purpose.

·         This can potentially distort the pattern of agricultural output in favour of energy crops.

·         Ethanol – The liberties granted to ethanol manufacturers remain contentious.

·         They are allowed to choose their feedstock from a range of crops and other farm materials.

·         These include sugarcane juice, sugar containing crops such as beetroot and sweet sorghum, starchy crops such as maize and cassava, damaged food grains such as wheat, broken rice and potato.

·         Evidently, many of these are part of the human or animal food chains.

·         Sugar industry – Ethanol drawn directly from cane juice could amount to a complete bypassing of sugar production.

·         Farmers would also be encouraged to produce more of this water-intensive crop.

·         This could be at the cost of other crops that can be grown on the prime irrigated lands.

·         Despite farmers' benefits, such moves may pose problems in the wider economic interests.

·         Bio-diesel – For biodiesel, the new plan envisages utilisation of non-edible oilseeds and short-gestation oil-bearing crops.

·         This disregards the fact these oils are used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and other industries.

·         Given these, the well-intentioned bio-fuel plan does need some judicious alterations to address the concerns.