Jatropha Facts and the Context for Bangladesh

I have been talking about Jatropha (bio diesel tree) on this blog for some time now. Today I thought I’d elaborate to clarify about Jatropha and its possible uses in Bangladesh.

Firstly, Jatropha is NOT a threat to food security. In fact, it is completely inedible. It is doesn’t need to be grown in crop land because it can be grown anywhere, even wastelands. Did you know that Bangladesh has approximately 37 lac hectares of wasteland? Did you know that Jatropha is even grown in the Sahara Desert?

To produce enough diesel to fulfill Bangladesh’s needs only requires 100 hectares of land. Jatropha is not even consumed by animals so it is an excellent border plant to be used to prevent animals from wondering onto and destroying valuable crops. It’s leaves also enrich the soil as the fall. It also can be planted along riverbanks and coastlines to prevent erosion.

Jatropha begins to produce fruit from the second year after plantation and continues to produce fruit for 50 years without replanting.

The process of expressing the oil is similar to that of mustard oil expression and therefore it is not cost intensive.

Other advantages include:

• Jatropha can be grown in less productive areas, shallow fields, rocky terrains and areas with scanty or excess rainfall.
• Animals do not consume Jatropha, hence it could be used on mass level to improvise barren land.
• Jatropha could be easily grown from stem and seeds.
• It grows extremely fast.
• Within 2 years of plantation, it starts to produce seeds and keeps on producing until the age of 50 years.
• For one hectare of plantation, depending on density and quantity, 3-10 tonnes of Jatropha seed could be obtained.
• Jatropha is a plant with many uses, its skin produces tannin, and various parts have different medicinal properties. The oil produced by Jatropha seeds has various medicinal properties.
• The latex of Jatropha contains an element jatrophene which is ’Anti-Cancerous’. The extract from the leaves is used to cure piles and raw leaves help in cleaning teeth and other dental problems.
• Jatropha oil is strongest substitute for diesel. Apart from this it is used for producing soap, candles and cosmetics.
• While burning, Jatropha does not emit fumes, hence in rural areas it is used for lighting purposes.
• In China Jatropha oil is used for making varnish.

In India, railways use Jatropha fuel to fulfill approximately 20%  of the annual needs. 

The skin and leaves of Jatropha are used in making dye.

 

In Bangladesh, there are many uses for Jatropha. Like India trains that run on diesel could be switched to Bio Diesel.

 

The same is true for buses, heavy machineries and trucks.

Added benefits for Bangladesh if implemented correctly:

• Rural Development
• Female Empowerment
• Reduction in Rural to Urban Migration
• Among many others.

This article expands on the reasons that the country needs to make a change for the betterment of all the people.

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