PNOC subsidiary allots P50M for pilot jatropha plantation

PNOC-Development and Management Corp. (PNOC-DMC) plans to allocate at least P50 million to undertake a pilot jatropha plantation in Northern Mindanao by next year.

This was revealed to The STAR by PNOC-DMC chairman Waldo Q. Flores who plans to personally supervise the establishment of a pilot 1,000-hectare jatropha plantation.

Flores has his own sugar plantation in Negros province and thus has experience in putting up and managing an agricultural plantation.

According to Flores, PNOC-DMC is taking the lead in putting up a jatropha plantation to set a model for future plantations.

PNOC-DMC, Flores said, is eyeing idle lands of local government units in Northern Mindanao which have the right climate for growing jatropha.

The PNOC-DMC jatropha plantation, Flores explained, is envisioned to be a sort of model and start-up plantation which PNOC-DMC will initially manage. Once the plantation is up and running, Flores said PNOC-DMC, plans to turn over the plantation to the LGU which would then reimburse PNOC-DMC for its initial financial outlay for the project.

PNOC-DMC, Flores said, is awaiting the results of a study by University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) regarding the best variety for the planned jatropha plantation and identification of the best site for the plantation before going ahead with the project in the early part of next year.

Flores, however, thumbed down proposals by the Department of Agriculture to intercrop jatropha in existing coconut plantations.

According to Flores, jatropha needs sunlight and thus will not grow well if intercropped with the tall but sun-shading coconut trees.