The Hindu : Bio-fuel project planned in 3 districts

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 09, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Bio-fuel project planned in 3 districts

By Nagesh Prabhu

BANGALORE FEB. 8. In an attempt to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and lessen the cost of farming, Samagra Vikas, a Bangalore-based non-profit trust, has chalked out a strategy to produce bio-fuel from non-edible oilseeds in Tumkur, Raichur, and Shimoga districts.

Samagra Vikas has roped in local farmers' associations, cooperative societies, research institutions, rural development institutions, and village forest committees in the three districts for the collection and marketing of non-edible oilseeds such as Pongamia (honge) and neem, and production of bio-fuel.

The President of Samagra Vikas, Y.B. Ramakrishna told The Hindu that the three districts had been identified for two reasons — availability of non-edible oilseeds to produce bio-fuel and barren land to plant Pongamia trees.

Non-edible oilseeds are abundantly available in Tumkur District and farmers bring nearly eight trucks of Pongamia seeds to the weekly fair at Sira. In association with Bharat Institute for Rural Development (BIRD) in Tumkur, Samagra Vikas has conducted demonstrations to educate villagers on the use of bio-fuel in domestic and farming operations.

Raichur and Shimoga districts have adequate barren land, active cooperative societies, and plenty of neem trees.

In Sindhanur taluk of Raichur District, a cooperative bank has agreed to provide financial assistance to farmers to grow trees producing non-edible oilseeds. The Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) branches in Raichur have agreed to collect seeds from farmers in 160 villages. Talks are on with the Agriculture Department on the use of 2,000 acres of barren land in the taluk, Mr. Ramakrishna says.

Pongamia grows in inhospitable agro-climatic and soil conditions. Nearly 1,100 saplings can be planted in a hectare of land and each tree will give an average yield of 10 kg of seeds in a season, generally from March to July. Nearly 2.77 tonnes of bio-fuel can be produced from 11.11 tonnes of Pongamia seeds. "One kg of Pongamia oil can be obtained from four kg of seeds at a cost of Rs. 10.50, which is cheaper than diesel," he says.

"We get 25 per cent oil and 75 per cent cake from Pongamia seeds." The cake is a good fertilizer, costs about Rs. 5 a kg and is cheaper than chemical fertilizer, according to Udipi Shrinivas of SuTRA, Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), Bangalore.

"This route is a good way of supplementing the irregular electricity supply in the villages. Bio-fuels are a source of energy for heating, cooking, and farm activities," Prof. Shrinivas says. Besides generating power, bio-fuel will help rural people generate extra income from barren land, provide employment during the dry season, increase the green cover and reduce dependence on trees as source of firewood for fuel.

A core group on bio-fuels which was set up after a two-day national seminar on non-edible oil seeds here has recommended a nine-point strategy for the Union and State governments to increase the use of bio-fuels, according to K.V. Raju, convenor of the bio-fuel policy development team.

The major recommendations include setting up of a national mission on bio-fuel, formulation of an action plan in a decentralised manner involving all stakeholders, incentives to use bio-fuel at all levels, design of pilot schemes in 30 districts in the first phase, and establishment of an information and resource centre for bio-fuel.

The core group is likely to hold discussions with the Centre and the State Government by end of February.

It is estimated that the country can produce 35 million tonnes of bio-fuel and over 100 million tonnes of organic manure annually by using existing resources.

The core group comprises experts from the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), IISc., and Samagra Vikas.

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