TN govt to enhance area under Jatropha cultivation

Chennai, Aug 3 (UNI)The Tamil Nadu government has drawn up plans to enhance the area under Jatropha cultivation and start commercial production of Bio-fuel by the end of this year, state Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S Arumugam told the state assembly today.

Replying to the debate on the demand for grants for his department, he said farmers in the state would be given quality Jatropha seeds and seedlings to take up cultivation in an area of 20,000 hectare during 2006-07 and enhance the area to one lakh hectare in five years.

The government would make available farming and irrigation equipments at a 50 per cent subsidised rate and take steps to fix the price for the seeds on contract farming basis, he said.

He said the bio fuel produced from the seeds of Jatropha proved to be environmental friendly as emissions from vehicles, which used diesel mixed with 20 per cent of bio fuel, found to be harmless to the environement.

Earlier, moving the demand, Mr Arumugam said necessary action has been taken to start the commercial production of bio fuel by the mills to be established by M/s Shiva Distilleries Ltd and M/s Mohan Brewaries by the end of this year.

Besides private entrepreneurs, Self Help Groups(SHG) and progressive farmers had already taken up jetropha cultivation in 9,500 hectare of land, he said adding, 32,000 more hectare would be brought under Jatropha cultivation through private entrepreneurs.

UNI WS VA DS1637