Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today indicated that the government may miss the deadline of mandatory 10 per cent blending of ethanol with petrol.
Pawar said for any additional increase in the blending, the availability of sugarcane needs to be taken into account.
The Cabinet on October 9, 2007, had approved 10 per cent compulsory blending from October 2008 except in Jammu and Kashmir, North-East, Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep.
"We have already implemented five per cent blending. The feedback we have got from oil companies they have honoured five per cent. For additional blending, one has to see the availability of cane also now," Pawar said on the sidelines of CII-organised biofuel seminar at Gurgaon.
He noted that sugarcane area is going down this year so the government is "little cautious".
Asked when 10 per cent blending would be implemented, Pawar said in November the government will get to know about the total area under coverage of sugarcane.
However, he added that the area under sugarcane would rise next year as farmers are expected to get better price.
"This year there might be little bit problems about area under sugarcane. But I am confident that next year that will not be the situation," Pawar said.
The minister said expressed confidence that farmers would ultimately get good price and once that happens the area would definitely go up.
