Amid the ban on the use of sugarcane juice and B-heavy molasses for ethanol, Ravi Gupta, Vice Chairman of All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA), has said that there is no concern about ethanol availability in the country and the government should allow 1 million tonnes (mt) of sugar for export in the current season. In an interview with businessline, Gupta, also executive director of top refiner Shree Renuka Sugars, said that the opening balance of sugar in the next season may be over 7 mt even after permitting export. Excerpts: