While the kharif crop normally bolsters inventories, this year, a patchy South-West monsoon has created doubts about paddy output as well as FCI’s ability to replenish its buffers. As FCI had stopped the sale of rice to State governments this June citing the need to maintain adequate stocks for the public distribution system, it seems only fair that supplies for ethanol be paused too. The Centre seems to be mulling whether maize can be used to feed ethanol distilleries. But what is really needed is a rethink on the grain-based ethanol blending programme in its entirety.