# Grain into fuel: Can maize and rice carry E20 alone?

> For India's 2026–27 ethanol supply year, the government set sugar diversion for ethanol to zero, excluding several sugar-based feedstocks from a tender seeking about 11 billion litres. The tender keeps maize and surplus rice among eligible feedstocks, while reducing the incentive for maize ethanol and lowering its effective price to 68.86 rupees per litre.

- Date: 2026-11-06 · published 2026-11-06T15:18:01.428Z
- Category: policy · region India · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/84242-grain-into-fuel-can-maize-and-rice-carry-e20-alone
- Commodities: [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Rough Rice](https://feedsoft.ai/c/RICE.md)

## Why it matters

Removing sugar-based ethanol shifts more of the blending requirement toward grain-based production, potentially supporting maize and rice demand; the reduced maize incentive may temper that shift if it limits distillery supply.

## Read by commodity

- CORN: bullish ▲
- RICE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2020-12-31 | [Sharp rise in price for the CBoT maize future](https://feedsoft.ai/events/49678-sharp-rise-in-price-for-the-cbot-maize-future.md) | +6.2% | +17.5% |
| CORN | 2022-01-21 | [Grain-based ethanol manufacturers demand dual pricing for maize, rice feedstock - The HinduBusinessLine](https://feedsoft.ai/events/43134-grain-based-ethanol-manufacturers-demand-dual-pricing-for-maize-rice-feedstock.md) | +1.4% | +6.9% |
| CORN | 2017-10-10 | [E.U. lowers maize, sorghum and rye import duties \| World-grain.com \| October 10, 2017 13:51 \| World Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/68532-e-u-lowers-maize-sorghum-and-rye-import-duties-world-grain-com-october-10-2017.md) | -0.3% | -4.5% |
| CORN | 2019-01-18 | [Grain market week in review – Jan. 18, 2019](https://feedsoft.ai/events/7655-grain-market-week-in-review-jan-18-2019.md) | -0.5% | +0.8% |
| CORN | 2022-09-22 | [China to Cut Soybean Meal in Livestock Feed \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/39574-china-to-cut-soybean-meal-in-livestock-feed-feed-and-grain.md) | -2.8% | +1.3% |
| RICE | 2022-08-27 | [Govt may curb export of rice to  maintain ‘food security’ \| India News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/39984-govt-may-curb-export-of-rice-to-maintain-food-security-india-news.md) | +0.4% | +0.2% |
| RICE | 2022-01-21 | [Grain-based ethanol manufacturers demand dual pricing for maize, rice feedstock - The HinduBusinessLine](https://feedsoft.ai/events/43134-grain-based-ethanol-manufacturers-demand-dual-pricing-for-maize-rice-feedstock.md) | +1.3% | +0.9% |
| RICE | 2022-09-09 | [India restricts rice exports, could fuel food inflation](https://feedsoft.ai/events/39557-india-restricts-rice-exports-could-fuel-food-inflation.md) | +5.0% | -0.5% |

## Sources

- agrospectrumindia.com: https://agrospectrumindia.com/features/89/35116/grain-into-fuel-can-maize-and-rice-carry-e20-alone.html

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.