Raygada based MITS and D1-BP Fuel Crops plan to raise jatropha plants over 20,000 acres additional land in the state during the current fiscal.
This will be in addition to the 9000 acres brought under jatropha cultivation in the MITS Bio-diesel project. The locations where Jatropha cultivation has been taken up include Kashipur, Raygada, Bolangir, Kalahandi.
Partners of this bio-diesel project have evinced interest to expand the area under the jatropha cultivation in non-coastal districts, preferably in economically backward KBK districts of the state.
Jim van Drunen Littel, managing director (Asia Pacific), D1-BP Fuel Crops Ltd. and Sriram Panda, chief executive, MITS group, made a presentation before the chief secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy recently on the future activities of the project.
Talking to the media after the meeting Panda said, there is vast scope for cultivation of jatropha in the wastelands in the state. A farmer can earn Rs 5000 per acre (in non-irrigated waste land) and Rs 20,000 per acre in case of irrigated land. However, due to lack of awareness among the farmers, the benefits are not availed by them.
Energy security coupled with concerns about economic development and environmental concerns can be addressed through promotion of jatropha cultivation, he added.
In this context, the project promoters suggested that the jatropha cultivation may be taken under government schemes like National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) and Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF).
In a model suggested by MITS and D1-BP Fuel crops for expansion of the area under jatropha cultivation, they emphasised on a public-private-community-partnership (PPCP).
Similarly, balancing the dependence on the bank loan with the government fund for plantation of jatropha, formation of the district level task force and promotion of the technology demonstration centres were suggested.
While as stakeholders the promoters will offer buy back guarantee, training support, maintenance of crops and environmental certification, the government should promote PPCP model with district administration. The government need to evolve mechanism for faster completion of the projects, rules and regulations for the players in this field should be in place to avoid false promises and excited predictions at the ground level.
