The Chhattisgarh Biofuel Development Authority (CBDA) is now planning to sell organic manure made out of Jatropha curcas plant, officials informed.
The CBDA has carried out plantation of more than 1.50 crore jatropha plantation in revenue wastelands since 2005.
This initiative has increased green cover of the State and generated rural livelihood opportunities in remote villages, officials stated.
Till date, CBDA has produced more than 1,80,000 litres of semi-finished bio-fuel from its pilot scale in the city by procuring Jatropha seeds from within the city.
Jathorpha semi-finished bio fuel is an important co-product obtained during the process of bio-diesel production.
It may be recalled that the Chhattisgarh Government has sent a proposal to the Central Government for setting up a fully automated bio-diesel manufacturing plant in the State.
About 500 metric tonnes of Ratanjot (Jatropha) seeds had been procured between October 2015 to January 2016, officials of State Energy Department's wing Chhattisgarh Bio-Fuel Development Authority (CBDA) informed.
The target is to procure 3,000 metric tonnes of seeds in the next fiscal, they stated.
The existing Bio diesel manufacturing unit of CBDA located at Mana in Raipur has the installed production capacity of manufacturing three metric tonnes of bio diesel per day . The target is to increase the production to ten metric tonnes in the coming years.
Officials informed that Rs 10 of Minimum Support Price (MSP) per kilogram had been fixed for purchasing Ratanjot (Jatropha) seeds from farmers.
The Authorities had been purchasing the high-grade seeds at Rs 15 per kilogram, officials stated.
Organic manure is also produced in the plant and sold in the market. It is sold in the name of 'Ratanjot Organic Fertilizer'. It is the dream project of Chief Minister Raman Singh and it is actively pursued by the authorities concerned, officials informed.
It may be recalled Chief Minister Raman Singh had launched the Biodiesel Project in 2005-06. The project is slowly gaining steam in Chhattisgarh.
The 'Ratanjot' seeds farming had been proving to be a boon to the farmers of the State. On the one hand Bio-diesel is being produced and on the other the flower buds are useful as organic manure for the agriculturists. This has been proved by the scientists at the Indira Gandhi Agriculture University (IGAU) in Raipur. They said that flower buds of Jatropha act as harmless insecticides.