New Delhi, Apr 14 (IANS): Production of ethanol has increased from 173 crore litres in ESY 2019-20 to 302 crore litres during ESY 2020-21 (October 2020 to Sept 2021), government data showed.

"Therefore, ethanol blending has increased by 62 per cent, It was 8.1 per cent in ESY 2020-21, up from 5 per cent in ESY 2019-20," officials said on Thursday.

Production capacity of ethanol in the country has also increased to 825 crore litres as on September 2021, which is sufficient to meet the target of 10 per cent ethanol blending in ESY 2021-22. "This production capacity has further increased to 849 crore litres till March 31 this year," officials said.

During the financial year 2021-22, Rs 160 crore were released to NABARD, the nodal bank, under the Ethanol Interest Subvention Scheme of the Department. The cumulative released under the Scheme till 2021-22 is Rs 360 crore.

This was not the only intervention. The Centre has made a number of schematic interventions in order to support the sugar industry and extended financial assistance to sugar mills thereby clearing cane dues of farmers.

To this direction financial assistance was given under various sugar sector schemes - Scheme for Assistance to Sugar Mills for Sugar Season 2018-19, 2019-20 & 2020-21 (Export Schemes); Scheme for Creation and Maintenance of Buffer Stock (Sugar Season 2018-19 - 30 LMT) & (Sugar Season 2019-20 - 40 LMT), Scheme for Sugar Subsidy for extending financial assistance to sugar mills for enhancement and augmentation of ethanol production capacity, etc. and loan under Sugar Development Fund.