Modi takes on sugar lobby, says will not hesitate to boost Ethanol

Davangere: Strongly backing sugarcane farmers in their battle with sugar factories to get their pending dues, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday declared that he would not hesitate to take on the all-powerful petrol-diesel lobby to boost Ethanol production and reduce the dependence of farmers on sugar production in the country.

Speaking at the BJP’s Vikas-Parva rally at Davangere here, Mr Modi, who is perceived to be close to industrial powerhouses like the Ambanis, said, “It is not that this idea of boosting Ethanol production did not exist earlier.

“I feel then governments succumbed to the powerful petrol-diesel lobby and this adversely affected sugarcane farmers of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka,” Mr Modi said.

He contended that if Ethanol production is encouraged, it would create a win-win situation for all stakeholders except a few who control the petrol-diesel lobby.

“It will end the heavy dependence of farmers on sugar factories, growers can get their dues in time while factories can up their profits by increasing Ethanol production. In some countries, Ethanol is being blended with petrol to the extent of 30 per cent, this will save a lot of foreign exchange. No matter, what it takes, I will continue to struggle to find solutions to the problems of the poor and farmers. My biggest ambition is get rid of middlemen in agro-marketing, which will surely benefit farmers in the long run,” he argued.