Islamabad, Pakistan
April 25, 2009
Source:
Daily Times via
Pakistan Biotechnology
Information Center (PABIC)
Pakistan Agricultural Research
Council (PARC) and Kijani Energy (KE), a sustainable energy
company of Canada, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to
focus on the development of large-scale cultivation of Jatropha
Curcas L (Jatropha), which was an environmentally and
cost-effective source of bio-diesel.
Chairman, PARC Dr. Zafar Altaf and Vice President KE Junaid
Mirza signed the MoU. Dr Shahid Ahmad, Member Natural Resources
Division; Dr Muhammad Munir, Member Plant Sciences Division and
Dr Khalid Mehmood, PSO witnessed the signing of MoU.
Under the agreement both the organizations would jointly work
for the promotion of Jatropha cultivation to develop bio-fuel
culture in Pakistan. Objectives of the MoU was to undertake
Jatropha cultivation in mass scale, to investigate the potential
of Jatropha, including on marginal and semi-marginal lands with
the consideration that such
areas should not have been used for food agriculture in the last
five year period, and educate farmers and industry with the
benefits of growing and processing Jatropha.
Highlighting the objectives of the agreement the PARC chief said
Pakistan was facing serious energy crisis, meeting its energy
and transport requirements by importing fuel. Pakistan was
spending about $3.1 billion on the import of petroleum products.
“These imports account for almost 85 percent of Pakistan’s total
consumption of fuel and almost one-third of Pakistan’s trade
deficit,” he maintained. With the cultivation of Jatropha as
bio-fuel the country would be able to save as much as $150
million in foreign exchange for every hectares of Jatropha
cultivated in Pakistan. Speaking on the occasion Junaid Mirza of
the KE Canada said his company would invest $150 million during
the next five years for cultivation and production of Jatropha.
The feasibility reports of Cholistan and Thar areas had been
conducted and found ideal locations for cultivation of Jatropha.
He said the areas identified were mostly not being used for food
agriculture. staff report. |
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