Voa Agriculture Report - Jatropha Plant Raises Hopes for Fuel and Poor Farmers

fill in the blank with one suitable word

But

Dutch

It

Some

This

Watson

a

are

as

biodiesel

described

disasters

eleven

food

getting

grows

higher

in

into

it

land

made

many

of

or

parts

renewable

says

southern

that

that's

the

thought

to

used

way

what

with

world's

is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report. Biodiesel is from plant oils or animal fats. Producers of this fuel often use oils like soybean or palm oil. a wild plant called Jatropha curcas (--JAT-ruh-fuh KUR-kas-) is a lot of attention lately. Some people see it a better way to make biodiesel ---- and a to make a better life in some of the poorest countries. For example, the New York Times recently projects in Mali to supply electricity to rural villages generators that can use the fuel. The Portuguese are to have spread jatropha from Central America to other of the world centuries ago during their explorations. Jatropha all year. It does not need much water and can grow in poor soil where other crops fail. African farmers use it as borders for their crops. helps protect the soil and keeps animals away from crops like a fence. The seeds are poisonous, although many parts of West Africa the plant has been to make traditional medicines. The Royal Tropical Institute in Netherlands says Mali has more than twenty thousand kilometers jatropha. A company called Mali Biocarburant processes the nuts oil for fuel. The project is financed by the government and private investors. Internationally, there are concerns about food prices and reduced supply as food crops compete fuel crops. Such concerns are often raised about corn sugar cane grown for ethanol. Supporters of jatropha say does not compete with food crops for good agricultural or harm the environment. Still, South Africa's agriculture department it is being careful in studying jatropha. This is a spokeswoman told the Mail and Guardian newspaper: "Too lessons have been learned at high cost when plants promised to be solutions turned into environmental and social for South Africa." In June, two British companies formed joint effort to grow more jatropha in southeast Asia, Africa, central and south America and India. BP and producer D1 Oils say their new company could become worlds largest producer of the oil by two thousand . But while the future seems to hold promise, there no guarantees. Right now, some jatropha farmers are said be having problems finding buyers for the seeds. And the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn . I'm Jim Tedder.

SCORE: