Saturday, March 29, 2008 PNOC, province to put up jatropha plantation in Palawan
THE Philippine National Oil Company-Alternatives Fuels Corp. (PNOC-AFC) has forged a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Palawan Provincial Government for establishment of about 30,000 hectares of idle lands for jatropha plantation.
The MOU mandates the PNOC-AFC to jointly develop a jatropha nursery and plantation within the province targeting an estimated 10,000 to 30,000 hectares.
The MOU was inked between PNOC-AFC general manager Clovis Tupas and Palawan Governor Joel Reyes.
"We are offering these areas in Palawan so that we may contribute to the government's advocacy in promoting bio-fuels," Reyes said.
According to Reyes, they have already identified the areas that are suitable for the jatropha plantation.
He said they are segregating the arable and idle lands now.
The arable lands will be solely utilized for the plantation of traditional crops such as rice, corn, and others while the idle lands will be used for the plantation of jatropha as well as palm oil and rubber tree.
At present, Palawan has about 200,000 hectares of idle lands.
For its part, PNOC-AFC will invest in jatropha nursery and provide the technical expertise including the provision of high yielding variety of seeds.
The company will also enter into a supply agreement with the Palawan Provincial Government and the farmers for the off-take of seeds from the jatropha plantation subject to negotiations on the price and volume.
The governor said they are also looking at putting up of a jatropha refinery in the province.
"For us to entice potential investors, we have to ensure we have enough jatropha plantation," he added.
PNOC-AFC chairman Renato Velasco, on the other hand, hoped that their partnership with the Palawan Provincial Government would be a success.
He revealed that with several provinces now seeing the potential of jatropha, the country may be capable of producing the bio-fuels which is in demand in Europe.
Other plantations of jatropha which PNOC-AFC already set up are in Cagayan de Oro City, General Santos City, Agusan del Sur and Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija. (MSN/Sunnex)
