Grain Ethanol Manufacturers Association (GEMA), the association representing the interests of grain-based ethanol manufacturers in the country has written a letter to Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, dated 21st December, requesting critical intervention from the Government to ensure uninterrupted supply of raw material/feedstocks (Rice /Maize/Damaged Foodgrains) for production and supply of ethanol to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) in the current ethanol supply season. This is the third letter the association wrote to the Ministry requesting urgent policy intervention to ensure raw material/feedstocks availability for ethanol production.
In the letter, Dr. Chandra K Jain, President of GEMA has said that since the grain ethanol industry is facing an acute shortage of foodgrain availability (Rice/Maize/DFG) to meet the committed supply quantity of ethanol to OMCS, the Ministry should take up the matter with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Food and Public Distribution for making required quantities of raw material/feedstocks readily available at a reasonable rate. The letter mentions that in the absence of sufficient raw material/feedstocks availability, the Dedicated Ethanol Projects (DEPs) would not be able to supply and fulfil the target of ethanol supply in the current ethanol supply season.
The Association has requested the Ministry to increase the price of ethanol procured from Maize and DFG either separately or simultaneously so that the same could be procured at market price.
The President in the letter has also requested for meeting appointment with the Hon’ble Petroleum Minister to represent the issues in detail.
