Jatropha is the answer to the country’s fuel needs, says expert

Zambia needs about 200,000 hectares of land for jatropha cultivation so as to sustain the country’s fuel needs per annum.

Biofuels Association of Zambia chairman of Finances Andrew Chitembo said 
this in Solwezi.

This was at a workshop organized by Netherlands Development Organization (SNV)
under the theme ‘Opportunitis for Improving Small Holder Production Incomes and
Employment’ held at Floriana Executive Lodge in Solwezi yesterday.

Mr Chitembo said Zambia currently spends about 500 million United States dollars per
year on petroleum imports from overseas.

The country consumes365 million litres of diesel, 164 million litres of  petrol and 18 million litres of kerosene per year.

He said this could be mitigated significantly by a shift  to jatropha as a viable
supplement to the nation’s fuel needs.

And speaking at the same function, chief Mumena of the Kaonde people of Solwezi
called on Biofuels Association of Zambia to sensitise the Zambian public on the
viability of jatropha so that they can start cultivating it.