Bolivia: Government, sugarcane growers and sugar-alcohol growers plan to increase ethanol production

This MHE release was published using machine translation.

UCOM-MHE-05-08-2023.- The Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energies, YPFB and the ANH met this Monday in Santa Cruz with the sugarcane and sugar-alcohol sectors in order to plan the work agenda to increase ethanol production in the country.

“The objective of today's meeting was to define a plan with the sector to increase ethanol production. Today, Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) plans to acquire close to 200 million liters of anhydrous ethanol this year and that next year they could exceed 220 million liters," the authority said at a press conference. .

The Minister announced that in the coming days there will be roundtables that will also address issues to strengthen agricultural production, ranging from access to credit, improvement of production conditions and contractual aspects with YPFB, which is the company that acquires ethanol for the gasoline blend.

The national government launched the National Policy to Control and Fight against Fuel Smuggling, which in its second phase contemplates the increase in the use of additives of vegetable origin, such as ethanol, for the gasoline mixture. With this measure, the State saves on imports and fuel subsidies, in addition to avoiding the flight of foreign currency. Likewise, by promoting sugarcane and sugar-alcohol activity, more direct and indirect jobs are generated for Bolivians.

On the other hand, the Minister assured that the fuel supply to both sectors is fully guaranteed for the harvest season.

“Diesel is fully guaranteed for the harvest and in general for the productive sector. Supreme Decrees 4910 and 4911 do not touch the quotas for the productive sector”, he assured.

The meeting, which took place in the offices of YPFB's National Vice Presidency of Operations (VPNO), in the capital of Santa Cruz, was attended by Poplar Capital SA, Ingenio Azucarero Guabirá SA, Unión Agroindustrial de Cañeros (Unagro), Ingenio Sucroalcoholero Aguaí SA and the National Commission of Sugar Cane Producers of Bolivia (Concabol), in addition to the Vice Minister of Budget and Fiscal Accounting, Zenón Mamani.