Narvacan, Ilocos Sur -- Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser C. Pangandaman had announced that millions of hectares of idle lands had been tapped by the Arroyo administration for massive planting of jathropa nationwide.
The jathropa plantation project had been pursued after the result of a recent study showed that jatropha or tuba-tuba was one of the best alternative sources of bio-diesel for the country as 31 to 37 percent of oil may be extracted from its seeds.
The lead agency of the project was the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and was being assisted by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and other concerned government agencies for upland development.
"We are not only focusing the massive jathropa plantation programs in the Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs) but it will also be focused in the millions of idle lands that basically upland areas that had not been touch or the so – called virgin but marginal lands," said Pangandaman.
"So, we are offering these areas to the investors for them to plant jathropa because we are looking to fully developed jathropa as alternative source of fuel to reduce our oil importation from 30 to 40 percent," he added.
With the realization on the development of jathropa as alternative energy source, Pangadaman told that this would be a great thing for the progress of the country's economy.
"Therefore, we initially targeting 3 million hectares nationwide and we are looking big areas as plantation sites. However, we were not encouraging our investors to plant jathropa in developed areas like rice lands and corn lands," he said.
All farmers nationwide, whether an Agararian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) or not, were asked to plant jathropa.
In Northern Luzon, some areas that had been looking for as suitable areas for the massive planting of jathropa to include the mountainous areas in Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Cordillera regions including Abra and provinces in Region 1.
"Initially, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had already released some P5 million funds for the development of jathropa and it was handled by the DENR – the lead agency in upland development," he said.
Earlier, President had issued an order for the launching of an upland development program utilizing the jatropha plant as the main crop.
"Through this program, we can provide our farmers with another source of livelihood because if we develop million hectares of jathropa plantations, we could create million jobs, which is in line with the job creation agenda of the president," he told.
- By Freddie G. Lazaro (PIA Ilocos Sur)
Source: Gov.ph
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