Page 142 - CW E-Magazine (16-1-2024)

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EASING IMPORTS
Scrap import duty on maize as ethanol is sucking

up resources: Poultry breeders

The All India Poultry Breeder Top 10 countries producing maize & emerges as the most viable solution
Association (AIPBA) Delhi has written per capita consumption (2023) to meet the immediate demand,” the
to the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Country Maize Per capita association stated. Ethanol’s growing
Husbandry & Dairying to allow duty- production consumption thirst for maize has also pushed pri-
free maize imports so as to enable (mt) [kg/year] ces skyward, posing a major challenge
the poultry industry to meet its future 1 US 382.60 1,139 for Indian poultry farmers. With maize
requirements. The current basic import prices hovering around Rs. 22-23 per
duty on maize stands at 50%. 2 China 277.00 194 kg across India, poultry farmers are
3 Brazil 129.00 596 grappling with unsustainable costs. The
Citing concerns over the rising 4 EU 59.70 133 burden is expected to intensify further
maize consumption in ethanol produc- 5 Argentina 55.00 1,201 by February 2024, which may adversely
tion, AIPBA pointed out that India’s impact the poultry industry.
34.60 annual maize production is 6 India 34.60 24
insuffi cient to meet the requirements of 7 Ukraine 28.00 762 India is the sixth largest producer of
the poultry industry as well as nation’s 8 Mexico 27.40 207 maize in the world and its production in
food security. India is second only to wheat and rice.
9 South 16.80 278
“As per estimates of the Indian Africa The association also believes that
Institute of Millets Research, the poultry & 10 Canada 15.30 394 it is crucial to strike a balance between
livestock industry consumes more than 11 Russia 14.60 99 the use of maize for ethanol production
60% of the country’s maize produc- 12 Indonesia 13.10 46 and its use as a food crop. “Sustainable
tion. In this context, the government’s practices, effi cient resource manage-
ambitious plan to generate half of the importing maize or increasing domes- ment, and a comprehensive approach
ethanol from maize by 2025-26 may tic production. However, signifi cant to agricultural and energy policies are
have some serious implications for short-term increases in domestic output essential to ensure that the benefi ts
sectors like poultry and livestock. are deemed improbable. Therefore, are realised without compromising the
Diverting such a signifi cant chunk of importing maize from other countries nation’s food security,” it added.
current maize production to ethanol
could impact their access to essential Hindalco to set up e-waste recycling
feedstock, creating a severe demand-
supply gap in the coming years,” said plant at PIP, Dahej
the submission.
The Arete Group, a prominent and creating an economically viable
Over the last decade, maize produc- industrial real estate player based in circular system. Sprawling across 3,500
tion growth has been at 4.5%, while Gujarat, has sold more than 150-acres acres and strategically located, PIP
the poultry industry has experienced a of prime industrial land at Payal Indus- offers plug-and-play industrial land and
growth of 8-9%. This disparity high- trial Park (PIP) in Dahej, Gujarat, to infrastructure tailored to the specifi c
lights the anticipated maize shortage Hindalco Industries Ltd. (HIL). needs of corporates. In addition to pro-
for the poultry industry, particularly in viding the requisite industrial land, PIP
the wake of the government’s plan to Hindalco, a fl agship company of the aims to extend comprehensive support
promote maize for ethanol in a big way. Aditya Birla Group, plans to establish to Hindalco throughout the project’s
a fi rst-of-its-kind e-waste recycling unit lifecycle. This includes assistance with
“Addressing the rising demand in India. The project aims to transform plug-n-play infrastructure, and other
for maize in both livestock feed and the e-waste landscape by introducing tailored services to ensure the project’s
other industries presents two options: advanced e-waste recycling technology timely and successful completion.

142 Chemical Weekly January 16, 2024

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