Molasses | शीरा
Why in News?
The Government of India decided to permit sugar exports for the 2025-26 season and remove the 50 percent export duty that had applied to molasses, bringing this important sugar-industry byproduct into current affairs.
What is Molasses?
Molasses is a thick, dark, viscous syrup produced as a byproduct during the processing of sugarcane or sugar beet into refined sugar.
How is it Produced?
During sugar production, juice extracted from sugarcane or sugar beet is clarified, concentrated and boiled so that sugar crystals can be separated. The remaining syrup after crystallisation is known as molasses.
Types of Molasses
Light Molasses
Light molasses is obtained after the first boiling of sugar syrup. It is relatively lighter in colour and sweeter in taste.
Dark Molasses
Dark molasses is produced after the second boiling. It is darker, thicker and less sweet than light molasses.
Blackstrap Molasses
Blackstrap molasses is generally obtained after the third boiling. It is very thick, dark and comparatively bitter and contains less sugar than earlier-stage molasses.
Composition
Molasses contains sugars, water and varying quantities of minerals and other compounds depending on the raw material and processing method.
Major Uses
- Production of ethanol and ethyl alcohol.
- Use as an ingredient in livestock feed.
- Production of yeast.
- Fermentation for industrial products such as lactic acid.
- Use in certain food and baking applications.
Molasses and Ethanol
Molasses is an important feedstock for ethanol production in India. Ethanol can be blended with petrol under India's ethanol-blending programme, helping reduce petroleum imports and creating an additional market for the sugar industry.
Importance to Sugar Mills
Revenue from molasses, ethanol and other byproducts can supplement income earned from sugar, improving the economics of sugar mills and potentially supporting timely payments to sugarcane farmers.
Important Dates
- 2003: India's ethanol-blended petrol programme was introduced in selected states and Union Territories.
- 2021: India advanced its target of achieving 20 percent ethanol blending in petrol to the 2025-26 ethanol supply year.
- 2025-26: The government permitted export of 1.5 million tonnes of sugar and decided to remove the 50 percent export duty on molasses.
Molasses | शीरा – हिंदी में विस्तृत विवरण
Molasses क्या है?
Molasses या शीरा गन्ने अथवा sugar beet से refined sugar बनाने की प्रक्रिया में प्राप्त होने वाला गाढ़ा, चिपचिपा और गहरे रंग का byproduct है।
यह कैसे बनता है?
Sugar production में juice को concentrate और boil किया जाता है। Sugar crystals अलग करने के बाद बचा हुआ syrup molasses कहलाता है।
प्रमुख प्रकार
- Light Molasses: First boiling के बाद प्राप्त होता है और अपेक्षाकृत मीठा होता है।
- Dark Molasses: Second boiling के बाद प्राप्त होता है और अधिक गहरा तथा कम मीठा होता है।
- Blackstrap Molasses: सामान्यतः third boiling के बाद प्राप्त होता है और सबसे गाढ़ा तथा अपेक्षाकृत bitter होता है।
उपयोग
- Ethanol और ethyl alcohol उत्पादन।
- Livestock feed में additive।
- Yeast उत्पादन।
- Lactic acid और अन्य fermentation products।
भारत के लिए महत्व
Molasses भारत के ethanol programme के लिए महत्वपूर्ण feedstock है। Ethanol blending petroleum imports को कम करने, sugar industry को अतिरिक्त revenue देने और किसानों की आय में indirect support प्रदान करने में सहायक है।
महत्वपूर्ण तिथियाँ
- 2003: भारत में Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme की शुरुआत।
- 2021: 20 percent ethanol blending target को 2025-26 तक आगे लाया गया।
- 2025-26: Sugar export permission और molasses पर 50 percent export duty हटाने का निर्णय।