Mumbai, Apr 28 (PTI) Leading basmati rice firm LT Foods on Wednesday said it is joining hands with US-based Humankind Group (HKG) to explore an opportunity to develop commercial-scale biomass plants that can recycle rice paddy straw into green energy and bio-fertiliser in India.

This initiative aims to become the leading Indian forum for biomass up-cycling by facilitating programmes to eliminate the practice of burning agriculture residue. It will also contribute to the creation of a waste-to-value ecosystem for sustainable products that impact across a wide range of environmental, social, health and economic outcomes, LT Foods said in a BSE filing.

Under this association, LT Foods, which has brands like Daawat, will become the local partner for HKG's first commercial-scale biomass facility.

LT Foods Chairman V K Arora said in the filing, "We focus on the best business practices and processes for environment, social and economic sustainability. This proposed project aligns well with our ongoing farmer engagement and environment programmes along with its sustainability initiatives."

The technology of the biomass plant has been tested in Punjab, where it has been successfully operating since 2018.

After the success of the first two plants, HKG plans to scale up the number of plants to 130 facilities in India in the next 10 years in collaboration with the Biomass India Partnership.

HKG is co-founder of Biomass India along with NL Works, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, FMO and Grameena Vikas Kendram Society for Rural Development (GVK Society).

"The programme...has the potential to contribute importantly to the development of a new industry in India that will enable to use agricultural resources for a more sustainable future, large-scale reduction in CO2 emission and other important developmental impacts," HKG President Ken Hollen said. HRS hrs

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