With reference to the usefulness of the by-products of sugar industry, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Bagasse can be used as biomass fuel for the generation of energy. 2. Molasses can be used as one of the feedstocks for the production of synthetic chemical fertilizers. 3. Molasses can be used for the production of ethanol. Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

The sugar industry generates several valuable by-products. Bagasse, the fibrous residue after juice extraction, is widely used as a biomass fuel for energy generation in sugar factories and for paper production [3]. Molasses, a viscous liquid byproduct, is a primary feedstock for the production of ethanol through fermentation and distillation [5]. While molasses and pressmud can be used to produce organic fertilizers or soil amendments [2], molasses is not a feedstock for 'synthetic chemical fertilizers' like urea or DAP, which are typically derived from inorganic sources like natural gas (ammonia) and rock phosphate. Instead, molasses-based fertilizers are classified as organic or bio-fertilizers. Therefore, statements 1 and 3 are correct, while statement 2 is incorrect because it specifies 'synthetic chemical' fertilizers rather than organic ones.

Sources

1. [2] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 25: Agriculture > Sugar Crops > p. 353
2. [3] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 12: Major Crops and Cropping Patterns in India > Sugarcane (Saccharum spp) > p. 34
3. [1] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Carbon and its Compounds > Alcohol as a fuel > p. 73
4. [4] https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Vinasse%20report%202013.pdf
5. [5] https://environmentclearance.nic.in/DownloadPfdFile.aspx?FileName=ePpqqr3pgUtm5wsuo6ksUjMtzh+nFxpyVk7o2yWVNklNzw60lY+HN+C/QyJ/XsSJKNZe0xvKLwVzXQeT9T07BhIdPaqozaxKRZIiPR2WGPMBczDZm5/zUy/+ZbdHeMoP&FilePath=93ZZBm8LWEXfg+HAlQix2fE2t8z/pgnoBhDlYdZCxzUlDadBGu7t8v4JoQvNU6UBlSmL0YQ7WQYaxkvlQvexKQ==