{
  "id": 19196145,
  "title": "Maize diversion for ethanol may fuel food inflation",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/maize-diversion-for-ethanol-may-fuel-food-inflation",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-11-09T18:07:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Economic Times",
    "slug": "the-economic-times",
    "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/rising-maize-diversion-for-ethanol-production-may-fuel-food-inflation/articleshow/135690794.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Pune: The Indian government's ethanol procurement tender has seen maize become the dominant ingredient in E20 petrol, raising concerns about potential food inflation. Oil marketing companies have offered ethanol with 59% maize, a significant 37% increase from last year, despite the government reducing the price of maize-based ethanol by ₹3 per litre. This shift could lead to higher costs for animal feed, impacting egg and chicken prices, as maize makes up 60% of poultry feed and is the main raw material for the starch industry. Kharif maize production is expected to decline by 15%, exacerbating supply constraints and potentially raising grain prices. Agriculture experts warn that such price hikes could make eggs and chicken more expensive, as the maize-based industry fears further price increases due to higher demand from poultry and ethanol manufacturers. The government's ethanol blending target of 7.2 million tonnes is expected to rely more on maize and damaged food grains, as sugarcane production has been negatively affected by drought.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}