New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) A delegation of the All India Kisan Coordination Committee (AIKCC) met the Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday and categorically said that ethanol is a big opportunity for the farm sector, provided its policy is “farmer-centric” and a remunerative price of the crop is paid to the farmer directly.
The Union Minister assured the farm leadership that the Central government is clear that the benefit of the ethanol programme should reach the entire chain, from the field to the fuel tank, and the largest share should go in the interest of the farmer.
He also said that ethanol will strengthen the country’s energy security as well as the farmers’ pockets, according to an official statement.
The delegation included farmer leaders from Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and other parts of the country.
“The main focus of the meeting remained on ethanol, farmers’ income, MSP (minimum support price), markets and the National Agriculture Policy. However, the farmers clearly said that they are in favour of ethanol; they only want that the real benefit of this programme reaches the farmer and not only companies or middlemen,” the official statement said.
During the meeting, the farm leaders said: “With ethanol production, the produce of the field will not remain limited only to the mandi (market), but will reach petrol pumps and the energy market. This will create a new and strong market for farmers. When Ethanol is made from sugarcane, maize, rice and other feedstocks, farmers will get more buyers and the problem of crop spoilage or storage will reduce.”
The farmers said that they fully support the production of ethanol.
However, it is necessary that remunerative prices of any crop, whether maize or sugarcane, are paid to the farmers.
The farmer representatives said that they want an ethanol policy to create a new path for farming and not become a new worry for them.
During the meeting, several farmer leaders said that confusion is being spread on social media and some platforms that ethanol damages vehicles or that it harms farmers’ interests.
Union Minister Chouhan also assured the farmers that the policy will be reviewed to maintain the balance of prices and demand of maize, rice, sugarcane and other feedstock.
“Decisions will be taken only from the point of view of farmer interest, especially the benefit of maize farmers. Through the scientific studies and technical reports available on ethanol, the negative narrative will be answered, and fact-based dialogue will be carried forward together with the farmers.”
The Union Minister said that the doors of Krishi Bhavan are always open for farmers as they are not opponents of the Union government but partners in policy.
–IANS
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