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Philippines National Oil Co. Alt Fuels Corp, partners forge 1650-hectare jatropha deal
Added 464 days ago - STATE-RUN Philippine National Oil Co.-Alternative Fuels Corp. (PNOC-AFC) said on Tuesday it signed a jatropha deal with three grower-partners to establish 1,650 hectares of jatropha plantations in Iligan City and the provinces of Biliran and Aklan.
“The Jatropha Biodiesel Program is now at its peak, and we are honored that grower-partners, like Malagsum Highlands Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Mahimco) in Iligan, San Juan Capenyahan Producers Cooperative in Biliran, and RSL Agro-Trade Co. Inc. in Aklan, are increasing by the numbers,” Romeo Tolentino, PNOC-AFC president and chief executive, said.
He noted that the signing of the pact was grounded on the parties’ intent to pool and commit their resources to reach the production target of jatropha and attain their goals relative to the country’s biofuels program.
Under the memorandum of agreements, the project that the PNOC-AFC will fund involves a 200-hectare jatropha plantation in the land that belongs to the San Juan Capenyahan Producers Cooperative in Biliran.
The project with Mahimco would establish a 450-hectare jatropha plantation in Iligan and a 1,000-hectare site with RSL Agro-Trade Co. Inc. in Aklan.
“Our company will fund an initial area of 200 hectares for Mahimco and 500 hectares for RSL Agro-Trade Co. Inc. The funding for the balance of 250 hectares and 500 hectares, respectively, is subject to availability of funds and budget approval,” Tolentino said.
The agreement with the grower- groups also calls for PNOC-AFC to supply the jatropha seedlings and other farm inputs and pay for the people who will plant the seedlings.
The jatropha seedlings would be sourced from PNOC-AFC nurseries nearest the plantation areas. PNOC-AFC would also provide technical assistance to set up the plantation and help in the maintenance for the first 18 months.
On the other hand, the grower- partners are supposed to manage the plantations together with PNOC-AFC, and provide the plantation labor at the start.
Apart from Tolentino, those who signed the agreements in Makati City were PNOC-AFC vice president and general manager for operations Clovis Tupas, Mahimco chairman Alberto Ora, Agro-Trade chairman Ramon Legaspi Jr., and San Juan Capenyahan chairman Leo S.A. Atillo.
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