Wednesday, July 23, 2008 Farmers Benefit From Selling Jatropha Seeds PHILIPPINES - Two years ago, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the Department of Energy to expand its propagation of jatropha plants in all possible areas in the country as it holds promise of good profit being eyed as an alternative fuel for imported oil. Jatropha farmers, who are willing to farm the plant that grows almost everywhere in the country even without fertilisers, are expected to be the main beneficiaries. Pres. Arroyo said: "Jatropha is the best alternative fuel and we need to propagate it." Today, a family from General Santos, Brgy. Apopong has started to sell their jathropha seeds to the Philippine National Oil Corp-Alternative Fuels Corp. (PNOC-ATC) at P35.00 a kilo. Datu Sabel Utap, is a farmer of the Jubilee Agri-Advancement Corp (JAC), PNOC-AFC's partner in the SocSKSarGen (South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, General Santos) sub- region. The government says that this family from Utap is just one of the many tangible proofs that it is taking the right steps in shifting from fossil oil to indigenous alternative fuel with farmers benfiting on the way. The Negros Occidental government has joined the Arroyo Administration in promoting the propagation efforts. The Provincial Environment and Management Office (PEMO) reports that a three hectare jatropha plantation in Brgy. Abuanan, Bago City is now being maintained by PEMO staff. The office is currently keeping thousands of jatropha seedlings in its nursery at the Pana-ad Stadium, Brgy. Mansilingan, Bacolod City. On 28 July, President Arroyo will deliver her State of the Nation Address (SONA) to focus primarily on fuel and food. The president is expected to outline her plans and report the gains towards the country's quest for food sufficiency and its shift to bio-fuels energy. Palace officials say the president is on track in her SONA targets. http://www.thebioenergysite.com/news...