The Hindu Business Line : Enlisting jatropha as agri crop mooted

Coimbatore May 23 Biofuel industry representatives, ata recent interactive meeting at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, have suggested the need for enlisting jatropha as an agricultural crop for availing loans from banks.

Industry stakeholders requested the varsity to represent to the National Oilseeds and Vegetable Oils Development Board for quick sanctioning of back-ended subsidy for jatropha plantations. They also expressed the need for fixing a minimum support price for jatropha seeds.

The TNAU Vice-Chancellor, Dr C. Ramasamy, chaired the meeting. Ten biofuel industry representatives participated in the interactive session. Dr Ramasamy hailed the State Government's efforts in promoting the cultivation of jatropha. He said the Department of Agriculture had identified 20,000 hectares in 24 districts for cultivation of jatropha in 2007-08.

The varsity, he said would produce 50 lakh seedlings of jatropha in its 14 research stations across the State for distribution to the farmers. "These farmers in turn would supply the seeds to the industries located in the respective districts,'' he said.

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