Need a balanced approach

Sugar sector's success has environmental risks

The sugar season 2021-22 (October-September) and the subsequent period till now have proved to be a watershed for the Indian sugar sector. From being a perpetual seeker of government support and bailout packages for its survival, this key agro-based industry has transformed into a vibrant, self-sustaining sector, achieving performance records on all fronts without any subsidy. However, the underlying factor responsible for this metamorphosis — converting surplus sugarcane and its products, including sugar and cane juice, into biofuel — has unwarranted ecological ramifications, which are cause for concern, though both the sugar industry and cane growers have gained from it. While the output of sugarcane touched a new peak of 500 million tonnes in 2021-22, that of sugar swelled to a new high of 39.4 million tonnes, of which 3.6 million tonnes was diverted to ethanol production.

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