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Agriculture & Food Management 253

Central Warehousing Corporation

7.59 CWC is operating 423 warehouses throughout the country with a total operational storage
capacity of around 117 lakh MT. The overall capacity utilization during December, 2020 is
expected to be 86 per cent. The average occupancy percentage during nine months (April to
December) of FY 2020-21 was 89 per cent as compared to 86 per cent during the corresponding
period of FY 2019-20. CWC has constructed 10000 MT capacity warehouse at Bhadohi (Uttar
Pradesh) under PEG in the current year.

Ethanol

7.60 The Government has set 10 per cent blending target for mixing ethanol with petrol by
2022 & 20 per cent blending target by 2030. With a view to achieve these blending targets,
Government is encouraging sugar mills and molasses based standalone distilleries through
various financial assistance to enhance their ethanol distillation capacity. The ethanol supply
under Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme, which was only about 38 crore litre in 2013-
14, has increased to about 189 crores litre during Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2018-19 and it was
173 crores litre in ESY 2019-20. In the ESY 2020-21, about 325 crores litre ethanol is targeted
to be produced to achieve 8.5 per cent blending and in ESY 2021-22, it is targeted to achieve
10 per cent blending by producing more than 400 crores litre of ethanol. Government has also
allowed conversion of surplus stock of rice with FCI and Maize to ethanol so that these targets
of blending can be achieved smoothly.

RECENT AGRICULTURAL REFORMS: A REMEDY, NOT A MALADY

7.61 The President gave his assent on September 27, 2020 to three reforms related to agriculture
sector—Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, Farmers
(Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and
the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act. Major provisions of the Reforms are presented
below.

The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020

7.62 It seeks to create an ecosystem where the farmers and traders enjoy the freedom of choice
relating to sale and purchase of farmers’ produce. The reform grants freedom to farmers and
buyers to transact in agricultural commodities even outside notified APMC mandis ensuring
competitive alternative trading channels to promote efficient, transparent and barrier-free inter-
state and intra-state trade.

The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm
Services Act, 2020

7.63 It seeks to provide for a national framework on contract farming that protects and empowers
farmers in their engagement with agri-business firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters or large
retailers for farm services and sale of future farming produce at a mutually agreed remunerative
price in a fair and transparent manner.