Date:07/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/12/07/stories/2007120756991200.htm

Back Icrisat gets $1.5-m funding for bio fuel research

Our Bureau

Hyderabad, Dec. 6 Bio fuel research at Icrisat got a shot in the arm with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) of the United Nations announcing $1.5-million funding over a period of three years.

Ethanol production

“The project will facilitate farmers and entrepreneurs to utilise sweet sorghum stalks and cassava roots in producing ethanol, and seeds of jatropha in producing bio-diesel, Dr William Dar, Director-General of International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, said in a press release here.

The Inter-Centre project, involving Icrisat, International Centre for Tropical Agriculture and some national bodies, is aimed at popularising the cultivation of sweet sorghum in the Philippines, China, Mali and India.

It would advocate for cassava in Vietnam and Colombia; and jatropha in Mali and India.

Results encouraging

“Research results on producing ethanol from the juice of stalks of sweet sorghum and roots of cassava, and bio-diesel from the seeds of jatropha are quite encouraging,” he said.

The programme envisaged sensitising farmers, research partners and other stakeholders in the production and supply chain about biofuel production.

“In addition, the project draws upon the strength of small-scale farmers’ know-how in formulating and implementing various activities,” he said.