India’s corn plantings for ethanol have skyrocketed

production of ethanol. This is facilitated by the government program. It ensures good demand for biofuels and the price of the corresponding agricultural products. In particular, we are talking about corn. Farmers are switching to this product so often that it is called a “craze”, so that the area sown “has grown rapidly”. This summer, farmers set a new record. “According to the latest official data, the total area [of corn] planted has increased to 9.8 million hectares, which is 17% more than in the same period last year. Its production is also growing rapidly. It increased by 11% in 2024-25, almost reaching a quarter of a million tonnes,” the report says. It is noted that India achieved an important goal in July. All gasoline there is now diluted with 20% ethanol. This happened several months ahead of the deadline set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2021 biofuel program. The country produced 66 billion liters of ethanol during the 2024-25 financial year (starts in April). ...