Indian sugar mills earn $4.7B in ethanol sales over past four years

In India, the Hindu Business Line reports that during the past four years, sugar mills have earned $4.7 billion from ethanol sales which has gone a long way towards helping pay off farmer dues. During the 2020/21 sugar year that ended in September, 2.2 million metric tons of sugar was diverted towards ethanol production. The country has a chronic sugar surplus which has led in part to policies urging a rapid increase in ethanol production and consumption.