Jury Still Out On Using Jatropha As Biodiesel Feedstock

Even so, biodiesel experts acknowledge that the effectiveness of the
crop as a feedstock to produce biodiesel has yet to be demonstrated
as no commercial-scale operations have shown results yet due to
jatropha's lengthy crop cycle.

India has been leading jatropha cultivation efforts with the
government identifying as early as in 2003 the potential of the
plant as a biodiesel source.

But the government delayed announcing any concrete policy until
early this year when a national biodiesel mission was set up with
the goal of putting huge swathes of marginal land into jatropha
cultivation.

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Comments:
1. It is good to see that other countries are keeping close view on
Indian Jatropha project. The Indians were also having the same
oppurtunity as in African countries like Mali, Jatropha was promoted
many years back but still these plants are in use to make glycerine.
No one is making Biodiesel from it. In India large scale plantation
is on but no one is using Jatropha biodiesel commercially. The
promoters talk a lot about it and to continue this 'hype' publish
new about trial running. Sadly, in India, blind support to Jatropha
is resulting in exploitation of poor and marginal farmers. They are
suggested by the authorities to cut old orchards of fruits trees and
grow this cancer causing plant. No one is ready to talk on clear buy
back scheme.

2. This news also talk about improoved agriculture practice. On one
hand Jatropha is under promotion as plant having tolerance to
drought, 'it grows without any care' etc. Jatropha may grow in this
condition but never give much oil is such condition. For good yield
improoved farming is required. Improoved farming will make it costly
crop. In such situation the indigenous biodiesel trees like Karanj
are far better than Jatropha as the biggest advantage is that there
is no need of its large scale plantation as it is already present in
nature.

Ignoring the fact of improved agro-techniques Indian planners have
started planting Jatropha in over 84 thousand hactares. Fifty to
sixty percent plants will die without any care. Then the planners
will replace it with new plants. It will give immense profit to
Jatropha suppliers not to the Jatropha growers and other natives. It
is wastage of public money openly.

It is appreciable that in Singapore and other countries debate is
on. In India Jatropha is under promotion without any open debate on
it.


Pankaj Oudhia