On Tuesday, September 9, the officials said that the Odisha govt. is planning to supply broken rice for the ethanol production, as the state has witnessed a sudden increase in Paddy cultivation along with a rise in the procurement rate in the state. The officials further said that the main ethanol plant located in Bargarh district utilises both rice grain and rice straw to produce the item for fuel blending.
What was discussed in the meeting regarding ethanol production?
Besides this, the state has also smaller ethanol plants that use grain feedstock, with FCI allocating surplus rice for the ethanol initiative.
The plan was discussed in the meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for procurement for the Kharif 2025-26 season on Monday. A discussion regarding the preparation of a roadmap for post-paddy purchase management was also held in the meeting. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo, who holds the Agriculture portfolio.
Furthermore, a senior official stated that the state government. has planned to procure the kharif crops at the end of November and execute the plan to supply the broken rice for ethanol production.
Farmers shifting to Paddy cultivation
Several farmers have shifted to paddy cultivation due to the procurement of Paddy at Rs. 3,100 per quintal by the government. One of the officials reported that there has been a 29 per cent year-on-year increase in the registration of new farmers. Additionally, it was decided in the meeting to build more warehouses to ensure proper utilisation of paddy after procurement. Not only this, permanent model mandis will be constructed in coordination with numerous departments.
The official added that the roadmap is being prepared. It will include opening more rice mills and upgrading existing mills to hybrid mills.