Palawan expands to jatropha
By Abigail L. Ho
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 19:05:00 03/27/2008
Filed Under: Alternative energy, Energy, Agriculture
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan--The provincial government of Palawan has committed to allocate at least 30,000 hectares of land for use in the cultivation of jatropha, a plant that can be used as feedstock for biodiesel production.
In a memorandum of understanding signed Thursday with PNOC Alternative Fuels Corp., the Palawan government said it had an initial 10,000 hectares of idle land that could be planted with jatropha.
Under the MOU, the Palawan provincial government guaranteed long-term support to PNOC-AFC's biofuels program.
Palawan would also be responsible for identifying the initial 10,000-hectare area where jatropha nurseries would be put up.
PNOC-AFC, on the other hand, would provide the technology and technical training needed to develop the jatropha nurseries here.
Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes said that easily 30,000 hectares could be committed for jatropha production, as the province had more than 200,000 hectares of idle land.
He explained that apart from jatropha, Palawan's idle land would also be used to cultivate palm and rubber trees.
"We'll create a roadmap segregating the different areas. Most arable lands will be used for traditional crops such as rice and corn. Some will be used for jatropha. Other areas would be used for palm and rubber trees," he said in an interview here.
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