The Hindu Business Line : UK co to encourage jatropha farming in wastelands

THE utility value of wastelands is on the rise, with both the Central and State Governments focusing their attention on developing these otherwise `uncultivable, degraded' lands.

Among the crops identified for cultivation in such wastelands is the `jatropha'.

Attempts at increasing the acreage under this plant has, however, not been easy as there have been no known buyers for the farm produce until recently. The entry of the UK-based D1 Oils Ltd is expected to instil some confidence among the target groups in rural pockets and tribals - the potential beneficiaries of the wasteland project.

Mr Roger King, Executive Vice-President, D1 Oils Ltd, told Business Line that the cultivation of jatropha in wastelands would to a large extent relieve the unemployment problem in rural pockets. The extraction of oil from the nuts and conversion into bio-diesel would help in reducing the carbon-dioxide emission, he added.

He explained that his company adopted an integrated approach for conversion of the crude oil to bio-diesel. The mobile expellers used in conversion met the EN14214 - mission standards (global standard), was time proven and tested.

Stating that the research and development efforts for bio-diesel conversion was still in a nascent stage in India, Mr King said the kit supplied by D1 Oils would help growers extract the oil and convert it to bio-diesel, on farm.

According to industry insiders, the Government is contemplating to introduce a 5 per cent blend of the bio-diesel by 2005. Statistics show that the annual consumption of diesel oil hovers around 60 million tonnes forming about 40 per cent of the total petroleum product consumption.

The seed requirement for oil crushing is expected to be huge. Mr King said D1 Oils being the world's largest producer of bio-diesel, was paying a huge premium for every tonne of jatropha seed.

According to Dr A. Subramaniam, Managing Director, Coimbatore District Cooperative Milk Producers Union, 2,500 jatropha shrubs can be raised in one hectare, and each plant would yield one to 1.5 kg of seed, depending on the planting condition (irrigated, non-irrigated or special care).

The District Administration has identified 4,000 hectares of wasteland and earmarked the same for jatropha cultivation in this district. The Co-Operative Union, it is reliably learnt, is negotiating with D1 Oils to get free seedlings for the tribals.

The D1 Oil official indicated that the company was keen on developing an India model for export of technology to the rest of Asia.

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