The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : ICRISAT realises a ‘sweet’ dream

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 14, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

ICRISAT realises a ‘sweet’ dream

Produces ethanol as a bio-fuel from the juice of sweet sorghum stalks

HYDERABAD: The project to produce ethanol from sweet sorghum, being implemented by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and Rusni Distilleries, has achieved a milestone with the first batch of ethanol flowing out of the distillery at Mohammed Shapur village in the State.

‘The ethanol produced at the distillery marks a major success in the public-private partnership project’, said a press release issued by ICRISAT here on Wednesday.

The project generates ethanol as a bio-fuel from the sugar-rich juice extracted from sweet sorghum stalks.

This provides farmers with a source of additional income, without compromising on food security.

ICRISAT’s Director-General William Dar described the production of ethanol as turning the dream of ICRISAT and Rusni Distilleries into a “sweet reality”.

He said the project successfully blended the institute’s scientific capability in developing sweet sorghum varieties with higher juice availability with the entrepreneurial capability of Rusni Distilleries.

The release said the ICRISAT’s crop breeding successes with sweet sorghum will soon help overcome the problem of getting sweet sorghum throughout the year for the distillery.

With the sorghum breeders at the institute having developed hybrids that can be planted at any time of the year, the limitation of planting only during the crop season has been overcome.

Produces ethanol as a bio-fuel from the juice of sweet sorghum stalks

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