New Delhi, December 17, 2025 — The Government has assured Parliament that India has sufficient maize supplies to meet the growing demand from ethanol production, the poultry sector, and other uses, despite maize emerging as the largest feedstock in the country’s ethanol blending programme.
Replying to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya said that 125.75 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of maize were utilised for ethanol production during the Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2024–25. Maize-based distilleries were allocated 477.8 crore litres of ethanol during the same period.
According to the Minister, India’s maize production has seen a substantial rise. As per the final estimates for 2024–25, maize output increased to around 434 LMT, which is sufficient to cater to ethanol production, poultry feed requirements, and other industrial uses.
Addressing concerns from the poultry sector, the Government noted that feed manufacturers are also increasingly adopting alternative domestic ingredients such as rice bran, broken rice, bajra, and wheat offal to ensure uninterrupted feed availability.
Reiterating its commitment to food security, the Minister said the Department of Food & Public Distribution continuously monitors foodgrain availability and maintains buffer stocks of wheat and rice. She clarified that surplus FCI rice is diverted for ethanol production only after meeting buffer stock norms and the requirements of the Targeted Public Distribution System (PDS) and other welfare schemes.
Looking ahead, the Government stated that 125.78 LMT of maize is expected to be utilised for ethanol production in ESY 2025–26, underscoring maize’s expanding role in India’s ethanol blending roadmap. At the same time, efforts are underway to diversify feedstocks, with feasibility studies being conducted on sweet sorghum as an alternative raw material for ethanol production.
For India’s poultry industry, the Government’s statement offers reassurance that ethanol expansion will not come at the cost of feed availability, supported by rising maize production and diversification of feed inputs.
Download Eggora Poultry App: https://www.eggora.com/download-app