IFAD funds 1.5 million dollar for biofuel research

Hyderabad, Dec 6 (UNI) The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will fund 1.5 million US dollars for a three-year biofuel research-for-development project, taken up by International Crops Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).

According to a release here, ICRISAT Director General William Dar said the 'Inter-Centre' project, involving International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) also, would take up popularisation of sweet sorghum cultivation in India, the Philippines and China, and Jatropha in India and Male.

He said the project would support farmers of drylands with the latest research and research products and link them with the biofuel market.

The project would facilitate entrepreneurs to utilise sweet sorghum stalks and cassava roots in producing ethanol and seeds of jatropha in producing bio-diesel, he said.

UNI