Indian biodiesel association calls for 12.8 million hectares of jatropha

August 31, 2007

The Biodiesel Association of India has called for India to dedicate 12.8 million hectares of wasteland to jatropha cultivation. The Association noted that India has 64 million hectares (158 million acres) of wasteland that could be utilized for the hardy, oil-producing tree, and called for 20% of that land to be utilized for jatropha cultivation. Jatropha yields of 635 gallons of biodiesel per acre, making it possible to produce up to 100 billion gallons of biodiesel on the proposed land.