Jatropha offers ‘green hope’ for arid areas
| Written by Steve Mbogo | |
Jatropha fruits: If they are processed into fuel using simple technology at the farms, earnings could reach Sh103,950 in a year per hectare. The cost and benefit analysis of the growing jatropha released by Green Africa Foundation, a group that is pioneering its small-scale production, reveals farmers could easily make Sh66,000 per hectare every year from selling its seeds. With the crop dovetailing with the arid and semi arid areas (ASALs) because of the climate, the returns compare favourably to Sh40,000 to Sh77,100 per hectare a maize farmer in a well rainfall-fed area would earn. If processed into crude fuel using simple technology available at the farm level, earnings jump to Sh103,950 per year, exceeding earnings from tea, which stand at Sh50,000 for the same size of land per year. “We are growing jatropha in some of the driest areas like Kitui where we have not had any major rainfall in the last six years,” said Isaac Kalua, the founder and chairman of the Green Africa Foundation. The transformation of arid lands by jatropha could also be accelerated by the fact that the crop is fast maturing. New improved seed varieties could be harvested six months after planting although optimal production is at three years. For other cash crops, first harvest may take up to three years, a condition that may be harsh for subsistence farmers. Vast lands in the arid areas are used for tourism which brings in an average Sh60 billion a year and hosts pastoralists who keep about a million of beef cattle and 18 million goats according to a recent count by the Ministry of Livestock Development. For a very long time, there have been attempts to introduce crops in the ASALs, but it has not borne fruits due to the harsh climate, which has only been useful to browsing animals like goats. If growing of the jatropha crop achieves expected targets in the harsh climate, the crop is seen to have the potential of taking such regions out of the trap of poverty. This is because the need for alternative, cheaper and more environment-friendly oil is higher than the supply across the world. This story is available in full in the Business Daily e-paper.For More on Jatropha visit http://www.jatrophaworldcostarica.com |
Posted by Jatropha World Costa Rica at 4/22/2009 6:43 PM 
Categories: Biodiesel,Alternative Energy,climate change,Farming,Global Warming,Investing,jatrofa biodiesel
Tags: Biodiesel Alternative Energy climate change Farming Global Warming Research jatropha jatrofa biodiesel
Categories: Biodiesel,Alternative Energy,climate change,Farming,Global Warming,Investing,jatrofa biodiesel
Tags: Biodiesel Alternative Energy climate change Farming Global Warming Research jatropha jatrofa biodiesel
It is true that Jatropha can survive in any soil/land conditions.
The productovity will be vary to the soil / land condistion as well.
To promote the Jatropha plantation in arid/semi arid area does need to consider whetehr it is economical viable or not.
As Jatropha is a very high resistance specy to any tought conditions.It will be vegetative but it is doubtfully for the productive to genenrate the Seeds for oil purpose.
It is a must to weight and check the realitry in term of the economical via ility for such promotion
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