Grain-based ethanol units will benefit from the new variety of maize

23-Dec-2024 04:22 PM

The development of new maize varieties in India presents an exciting opportunity to enhance ethanol production, particularly for grain-based ethanol units.

The government is aiming to improve maize's ethanol yield by developing varieties with a higher ethanol content, which currently hovers around 38%.

The goal is to create varieties with a 40-42% ethanol recovery rate, which would be a significant increase in efficiency for ethanol production.

The Indian Institute of Maize Research (IIMR) in Ludhiana is working on these new varieties, and they are expected to be ready within the next one or two years.

Additionally, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is considering making it mandatory for new maize seeds to indicate their ethanol content.

This would help distinguish maize meant for ethanol production from that used for other industries, such as animal feed and starch production.

The new maize varieties will likely be designated for ethanol production, while existing maize categories can continue to serve industries like animal feed, poultry feed, and starch production.

This approach is expected to optimize maize use, increase farmers' income, and support the growing demand for maize in ethanol production, which is expected to exceed 10 million tonnes in the coming years.