Syngenta introduces sugar beet to India: ethanol prospects loom

Swiss agricultural concern Syngenta said it has successfully introduced sugar beet into India. The beet delivers similar output yields to sugar cane and is an ethanol feedstock. India has been making substantial strides towards increasing biofuel capacity, including recent developments in jatropha cultivation.

Syngenta is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in 2006 were approximately $8.1 billion. Syngenta employs around 21,000 people in over 90 countries.

Sugar beets are an efficient source of ethanol fuel. The net energy gain from sugar beets is 33% (vs. 9% for wheat), and sugar beets produce 2.5 times as much ethanol per hectare as wheat grains (2860 gallons per acre vs 1150).

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