New Delhi, Feb 25 () Industry body ISMA on Tuesday revised the country's sugar production upward by two per cent to 26.5 million tonnes for the ongoing 2019-20 marketing year, much lower than last year but enough to meet the local demand. It may be noted that a senior Food Ministry official on February 24 had said the total sugar output would be around 27 million tonnes this year. Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) had in November last year pegged sugar production at 26 million tonnes for the 2019-20 marketing year (October to September) considering fall in sugarcane crop in key growing states, compared with 33.16 million tonnes during the 2018-19 marketing year. Already, about 17 million tonnes of sugar has been manufactured by mills till February 15. Annual sugar consumption in India, the world's second largest producer after Brazil, is about 26 million tonnes. Releasing the latest data, ISMA said: "Sugar production during 2019-20 would be slightly more than what was estimated in November 2019. ISMA has accordingly revised its sugar production estimates upwards from 26 million tonnes to 26.5 million tonnes for 2019-20. The production estimate has been revised after considering reduction of sugar following higher production of ethanol by way of diversion of B-heavy molasses and sugarcane juice, it said in a statement. According to the second estimate, production in Uttar Pradesh, the country's largest sugar-producing state, is estimated to be 11.8 million tonnes this year, almost similar to what the state had produced in 2018-19. However, in Maharashtra, sugar production is estimated to drop by almost 40 per cent to around 6.2 million tonnes in 2019-20 as against 10.72 million tonnes in 2018-19. "Based on our analysis, we expect higher yield from the balance sugarcane available for harvesting which is mainly in areas which are high yielding districts like Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli and Pune," ISMA said. Similarly, in Karnataka, sugar production is estimated to be around 3.3 million tonnes in 2019-20 from 4.43 million tonnes in 2018-19 due to fall in cane acreage by 21 per cent. According to ISMA, there has not been any major changes in the other sugarcane growing states of the country. As per the second advance estimates, other states including Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Odisha and Uttarakhand are collectively expected to produce about 5.2 million tonne this year. On ethanol supply for blending with petrol, the industry body said 61.63 crore litres of ethanol made from B-heavy molasses and 10.60 crore litres ethanol made from sugarcane juice have been finalised from the first tender. Another tender is under finalisation and is expected that some more ethanol supplies would be contracted, including ethanol from B-heavy molasses and sugarcane juice. ISMA said closing stock of sugar at the end of the current year is expected to be around 10 million tonnes. If the government continues with its buffer stocks of 4 million tonnes next year too, the net available sugar balance for market sale will be around 6 million tonnes, which is considered reasonable, it added. LUX ANSANS

ISMA revises India's sugar output upward by 2 pc to 26.5 million tonnes for 2019-20

New Delhi, Nov 20 () The government should purchase crop residue as it procures wheat and paddy at minimum support price (MSP) to address the issue of stubble burning, one of the causes of air pollution, JD(U) MP Ram Nath Thakur suggested in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. 
Raising the issue during the morning session, Thakur also expressed concern over the arrest of farmers in some states for stubble burning. 
The government should buy crop residue in the same way it purchases wheat and rice from farmers at MSP, he said, adding that this will not only help in reducing pollution, but also provide financial relief to farmers.
BJP member Vijay Pal Singh Tomar suggested that stubble can be used in manufacturing of ethanol. 
He also said efforts should be made to ensure 10 to 15 per cent blending of ethanol with petrol, which will help in environment protection and saving foreign exchange. 
The government has mandated mixing of 10 per cent ethanol in petrol, but only about six per cent is being mixed currently. 
Meanwhile, three Congress MPs demanded that the central government buy rice from Chhattisgarh. 
Chhaya Verma, Motilal Vohra and P L Punia mentioned in the House that rice from the state is not being purchased for the central pool as Chhattisgarh is buying at a higher MSP of Rs 2,500 per quintal against the MSP of Rs 1,815 per quintal announced by the Union government. 
The Centre should relax norms and buy the grains at the MSP announced by the state government as part of its goal to double farmers' income, they said. 
The Congress, which is in power in Chhattisgarh, had promised the higher MSP to boost farmers' income, according to them. 
BJP's Shwait Malik said people living within the 5-km area from the India-Pakistan border in Punjab are facing problems in getting employment and education. 
He demanded a special fund to provide infrastructure, education and job opportunities to them. 
In his Zero Hour mention, A K Selvaraj of the AIADMK raised the issue of adulteration and contamination of food products. 
Two TMC members Md Nadimul Haque and Manas Ranjan Bhunia highlighted the plight of people affected by Cyclone Bulbul and demanded that the central government extend help in providing relief to those affected. 
DMK leader Tiruchi Siva suggested that Tamil should be made the official language of the Madras High Court. 
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu agreed with the suggestion, saying the language in high courts should be that of the state. 
Another Congress member Mohd Ali Khan asked the central government to intervene so that the ongoing strike by employees of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) can be ended. In his mention in the House, Prasanna Acharya of the BJP expressed concern on incidents of acid attack on women. He termed such incidents as the most "heinous gender violence". MJH NKD NKD MJH ANB
ANB

Govt should buy crop residue like it purchases wheat, paddy: JD(U) MP

New Delhi, Jan 22 () India on Wednesday expressed interest in raising the import of crude oil from Brazil as the world's third largest oil consumer is looking at diversifying its import basket beyond the highly volatile Middle East region.
 Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met visiting Brazilian Minister for Mines and Energy Bento Albuqueroque to review cooperation between the two countries.
 "India is diversifying its crude oil supply and our oil companies have expressed interest in sourcing more crude from Brazil if offered favorable commercial terms," Pradhan tweeted after the meeting.
 India imports 84 per cent of its oil needs and two-thirds of its import come from the Middle East with Iraq and Saudi Arabia being the top suppliers.
 Pradhan said he also sought intervention for the early monetization of India's existing investments in the Brazilian energy sector.
 ONGC Videsh Ltd, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), has two exploration blocks in Brazil - BC-10 and BM Seal-4 and is looking at monetizing discoveries made there.
 Pradhan said during the meeting the agreements/MoUs to be signed in bioenergy and oil &amp; gas sector during the Summit level meeting with the visiting Brazalian President were also reviewed.
 Separately, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Brazil on cooperation in the field of oil and natural gas.
 "The MoU will enhance cooperation between the two sides in the oil and natural gas sector. Under the MoU, both sides will work towards establishing cooperation in the exploration and production (E&amp;P) initiatives in Brazil and India, research &amp; development in this sector, explore collaboration in Liquefied Natural Gas projects in Brazil, India and third countries, and also encourage collaboration in oil energy and environmental issues, including energy policies such as energy efficiency, energy research development and expansion of the regional energy infrastructure networks," an official statement said.
 The MoU will be signed during the visit of Brazalian President.
 "We further discussed to collaborate our efforts in the field of Biofuels. We are targeting to achieve 20% ethanol blending in petrol &amp; 5% bio-diesel blending capacity by 2030. In this regard expressed India's interest to work with Brazil in the field of Bioenergy," Pradhan tweeted after meeting his Brazalian counterpart.
 Also discussed was developing cooperation in technologies, particularly in the areas of mining and pelletization, he added. ANZ MR

India keen on importing more oil from Brazil

Reassuring the country’s commitment to abide by the Paris Climate Agreement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced for the first time during his Independence Day Speech delivered on August 15, 2019, that India will produce 175 GW of non-fossil fuel or what can be called as bio-fuels. He urged the nation to bring about a behavioral change in all levels in order to deal with climate change in a sure and steady way. He pledged that India’s target of non-fossil fuels will be more than doubled to 450 gigawatts. PM’s vision about bio-fuels Stating that bio-fuels can steer India’s growth in the 21st century, PM Modi said bio-fuels can also help us reduce our dependence on crude oil. Some of the benefits of using bio-fuels include contributing to a cleaner environment, boosting up the rural employment, and generating additional income to farmers. The PM also drew our attention to the fact that the country could save about Rs. 4,000 crores by mixing ethanol with petrol and the move had also benefitted farmers. Some of the measures highlighted by the Prime Minister in the lines of contributing to a greener environment include increasing the use of CNG in public transport, manufacturing BioCNG from trash, and reducing the need to import CNG. PM explains about Biofuels The topic of biofuels is important from the point of view of science as well as alternative energy sources. Biofuel can be produced from crops, garbage left-overs, and crop-residue. The production of biofuel can transform the quality of people’s lives both in the rural and urban regions. Increasing the use of biofuels can help increase the income of the farmers, create new avenues for employment, protect the nation’s wealth and also contribute to a greener environment. PM visualizes the move towards biofuel as a measure to empower the villages, promote cleanliness, pave the way to modern urban development, reduce air pollution in the cities, and support a plethora of green initiatives. Indian government and biofuel initiatives Efforts to produce ethanol from sugarcane started during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s governance. However, since the project was launched by the previous government, the scheme was not given the right momentum. After the BJP government took charge of the central government after the 2014 elections, the ethanol blending program was initiated and the scheme operates today in more than 25 states and union territories of India. This project not only helped farmers but also saved about Rs. 4000 crores in foreign exchange. All about green fuels Other than sugarcane, the other sources to produce biofuels include spoiled crops, bamboo, grass, crop residue, cow dung, recycled edible oil, crop stubble, solid waste, and many others. The government initiatives to produce bio-diesel from the used cooking oil discarded in households, commercial kitchens, restaurants and other food processing plants can be used to produce bio-diesel that can make a cleaner, renewable and cheaper fuel. The government has recently announced that the state-run marketing companies will produce bio-diesel from the used edible oil. Bio-diesel can be mixed with any type of diesel. It is non-toxic and bio-degradable. The government’s initiatives in the lines of bio-diesel is a measure to decrease our dependence on oil imports and find alternative sources of greener fuels.

What are Green Fuels that PM Modi talked about in his speech in UN?

The Budget 2016-17 will be a "historical one" with focus on job creation and sustainable development, Union Environment Minister <keyword id="119642" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Prakash-Javadekar">Prakash Javadekar</keyword> said today. 
 "The Budget will be essentially a historical one. It will ensure path of job creation and ensure sustainable development. That is the thrust of the <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> government," Javadekar said while interacting with captains of the industry and farmer representatives here. 
Stating that the focus of the government is on "Jawan, Noujavan, Kisan and Karmachari" (Soldier, Youth, Farmer and Labourer), Javadekar said that different ministries were talking to representatives of various sectors separately to meet their expectations. 
 
For the welfare of labourers, the government increased minimum wages, enhanced the ceiling of bonus and fixed wages for the contract workers, a step which was never taken before, he said. 
 
"We represent the aspirations of poor class," he said adding, in one year, a record 17-crore poor people have opened bank accounts under the Jan Dhan Yojana and 12 crore insured for accident by paying Rs 12. 
 
Responding to various issues raised by various industries such as textile, engineering, manufacturing, processing, pump and motors, Javadekar said that Zero Liquid Discharge was not the policy, but not polluting rivers as the policy, and referred the issue of Ganga, where nearly 550 polluting industries were made to use monitoring device and over 200 units made to close operations. 
 The Minister said that the Centre's main focus is on reforms and through its "<keyword id="2967568" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="GiveItUp">GiveItUp</keyword>" LPG subsidy scheme, the government has been able to persuade around 10 lakh people to give up the benefit, benefiting the poor living without a gas connection. 
 
There are 40 per cent households who do not have LPG connection and use firewood, he said, adding the Centre is planning to provide connection to all in next 10 years. 
 
Similarly, the government has brought stability in the sugar industry, which was facing frequent cane pricing issue, and started ethanol blending in petrol, which was blocked by import lobby earlier, Javadekar said. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

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ISMA revises India's sugar output upward by 2 pc to 26.5 million tonnes for 2019-20

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Govt should buy crop residue like it purchases wheat, paddy: JD(U) MP

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India keen on importing more oil from Brazil

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What are Green Fuels that PM Modi talked about in his speech in UN?

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Budget 2016: Government to focus on sustainable development, jobs, says Prakash Javadekar

BI India Bureau