Emami Biotech Limited in technical collaboration with M/s Desmet Ballestra, has
set up a Bio-diesel manufacturing plant of 300 tonnes per day, at Haldia, West Bengal,
which requires about 3,00,000 MT of Jatropha seeds p.a. at its full capacity.
In order to ensure steady supply of seeds and also give consistent quality, Emami
Biotech Limited has initiated Jatropha cultivation through captive and contract
farming in many states on India. Contract farming has been initiated in Orissa and
West Bengal. For contract farming we aim to enter into bipartite / tripartite agreements
with the individual farmers and with the lending bank as necessary, and provide
the farmers with necessary technical guidance and assistance to ensure quality output.
Jatropha cultivation through captive farming in our own farms has been initiated
in Tamil Nadu, Orissa and West Bengal.
The captive farming has already taken off on 100,000 acres of land allotted to Emami
Biotech by Oromia Investment Commission. Besides, Emami Biotech has already taken
possession of 27,500 acres of land and work has begun on it involving a capital
outlay of about $25 million or about Rs 120 crore. A technical team consisting of
8-9 people has been sent to Ethiopia to carry out the smooth functioning of the
operations.
Once complete the project will churn out 100,000 tonnes of crude bio-fuel/edible
oil per annum. While the bio-fuel will be exported to India for producing bio-diesel,
the edible oil produced in Ethiopia will be used for captive consumption.
For the success of Jatropha cultivation, EBL has established an in-house R&D
facility and tied up with Tamil Nadu Agriculture University and other technical
institutions for technical assistance. It has also set up of a Model Farm in Tamil
Nadu for carrying out all sorts of possible intercrops and plantation with different
spacing and different standard to select best practices.