[rgiridhar]

Business Standard, Jul 12, 2007

D1 Mohan Bio Oils Limited (DMBOL), a joint venture company of Mohan Breweries and Distilleries Limited and D1 Oils Plc of the UK, is embarking on large-scale cultivation of jatropha in south India with a production target of 2.5 lakh tonnes of biodiesel in the next five years.

Sarju Singh, director (operations), DMBOL, said the company would bring more than 2.5 lakh hectares under jatropha cultivation by entering into contractual agreements with the farmers.

D1 Mohan has planted jatropha in over 8,000 hectares and plans to cover another 10,000 hectares in 20 districts of Tamil Nadu in the current fiscal in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Agriculture Department and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU).

While the government will take care of the subsidy component, the technological inputs are to be provided by the TNAU.

In Andhra, about 4,000 hectares are under jatropha cultivation. In the current year, it plans to add another 5,000 hectares.

The company is yet to enter into Karnataka, while in Kerala, the agro-climatic conditions are not deemed suitable for the cultivation.

D1 Mohan has already commissioned a manufacturing facility at Coimbatore envisaging 7 tonnes of biodiesel per day. A blueprint is being readied for locating the manufacturing units in close proximity to farming communities. About 20 centres will be selected under the sustainable oil supply programme.