Apple growers in Himachal Pradesh are raising concerns over the impact of 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol (E20) on farm equipment, claiming that the fuel is reducing machine efficiency, increasing maintenance costs and affecting the longevity of petrol-operated tools widely used in orchards.
Most orchard machinery, including sprayers, brush cutters, power weeders and tillers, runs on petrol. Farmers allege that the higher ethanol content is adversely affecting the performance of these machines, particularly older models and two-stroke engines that were not designed to operate on E20 fuel.
Lokinder Bisht, an apple grower from Rohru, said the immediate impact of E20 would be lower fuel efficiency. “The per-litre performance of farm equipment will decline with the increased ethanol content,” he said. He also claimed that ethanol could damage rubber components such as seals and fuel pipes, besides choking filters, leading to frequent repairs and higher maintenance expenses. “This will increase the cost of production and ultimately reduce farmers’ profit margins,” he added.
Yoginder Sharma, a farmer with an MTech degree, said most small agricultural tools used in orchards are powered by two-stroke engines, which, according to him, are not efficient in burning ethanol-blended petrol. “The higher ethanol content is damaging these tools,” he claimed.
Sharma also alleged that manufacturers were refusing to honour warranty claims if the damage was linked to ethanol-blended fuel. Recounting his experience, he said his newly purchased power weeder began emitting excessive smoke, but the company suggested that ethanol was the likely cause and declined responsibility. “Small and marginal farmers cannot afford frequent repairs or replacement of expensive equipment. If such a transition was necessary, the government should have introduced it through a proper roadmap and phased implementation,” he said.
Another apple grower from Rohru, Dimple Panjta, urged the government to allow consumers the option of choosing between regular petrol and ethanol-blended fuel. He claimed that E20 petrol was unsuitable for many farm machines and believed premium petrol contained lower ethanol content. However, Amit Nanda, a petrol pump owner in Shimla, clarified that both regular and premium petrol contain the same percentage of ethanol. “Premium petrol only has a higher octane rating and additional performance-enhancing additives,” he said.
Farmers have also questioned why petrol prices have not fallen despite the increased ethanol blending. “If the ethanol content has doubled, fuel prices should have come down as well,” Panjta remarked.
