Why Indian biodiesel plants are not under promotion in North-East.
Why only Jatropha and also why it is by foriegn firms. It seems that
our authorites are having doubts with Jatropha. That is why they are
depending on foriegn companies.

Pankaj Oudhia


--- In jatropha@..., "Shubhranshu Choudhary"
<smitashu@g...> wrote:
>
> Subject: British firm to grow jatropha plants in northeast India
>
>
> British firm to grow jatropha plants in northeast India
>
>
> <http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=7957>
> http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=7957
>
>
>
> By Prasun Sonwalkar, London: A major British
> <http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=7957> bio-
diesel
> producer is starting a
> <http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=7957> joint
venture
> with a leading <http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?
action=fullnews&id=7957>
> tea plantation group of India to extend its crop planting programme
in the
> country's northeastern region.
>
> The deal by D1 <http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?
action=fullnews&id=7957>
> Oils with Williamson Magor will see around 25,000 hectares of
jatropha
> planted during 2006. The fuel company is growing thousands of
hectares of
> jatropha plant to produce feedstock for its bio-diesel, a blend of
> conventional diesel and vegetable oil claimed to reduce carbon
> <http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=7957>
emissions by up
> to 80 percent.
>
> The proposed joint venture company will promote and help to plant
the crop
> as well as putting in place the logistics to produce bio-diesel
from the oil
> <http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=7957> seeds
harvested
> by the farmers.
>
> The Williamson Magor Group is among the largest tea plantation
groups in
> India and is billed as the world's largest supplier of quality tea,
grown
> mostly in the northeastern state of Assam. It is reported to
produce 70
> million kg of tea a year and employs more than 100,000 people.
>
> Established in the year 1868 as a tea company, the group now
produces nearly
> 30 million kg of tea per year from its 23 tea
> <http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=7957>
estates in
> Assam. Assam, <http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?
action=fullnews&id=7957>
> home to nearly 800 big tea plantations, accounts for more than 50
percent of
> India's tea production.
>
> Reports say that the Stockton-based firm already has a significant
presence
> in southeast India via another joint venture, D1 Mohan Bio Oils,
but this
> will be its first operation into the northeastern part of the
country.
>
> The company, chaired by entrepreneur Karl Watkin, is looking to set
up a
> global network of bio-diesel-producing sites to take advantage of
the
> rapidly growing market for the sustainable fuel, according to a
report in
> The Journal, Newcastle.
>
> The report said that the company's efforts had been boosted by a
report from
> oil giant BP, which had carried out a $9.4 million study into
jatropha.
>
> Elliot Mannis, chief executive officer of D1 Oils, said the BP
study found
> that "as a non-edible and drought-resistant crop, jatropha is
potentially an
> economically, socially and environmentally sustainable contributor
to the
> challenges of energy security in India".
>
> The report added that D1 Oils plumped for jatropha as its primary
feedstock
> because it can grow on non-arable land and is not dependent on
government
> subsidies for its production.
>
> Speaking about the company's latest deal, Mannis said: "India is
going to be
> a key location for the production and consumption of bio-diesel from
> jatropha and comprises the largest component of our current planting
> programme."
>
> He said the deal with the Williamson Magor is "in addition to the
contract
> farming programme currently being undertaken through D1's joint
venture in
> southeast India, D1 Mohan Bio Oils".
>
> He added: "It takes us for the first time into the northeast, where
there
> are significant areas of marginal and unused land available for
planting
> jatropha.
>
> "Williamson Magor's experience of large-scale planting and its
excellent
> relationships with farmers make it a strong partner."
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
> Shubhranshu Choudhary Freelance Journalist
> Ph : + 91 98110 66749 e mail : smitashu@g...
> http://www.cgnet.in http://smitashu.8m.net
>