Farmers back plan to use fallow land for biodiesel crops

This article was published by the Taiwan Healdines on March 7, 2006. It reports that 12 farmers' associations in southern Taiwan recently signed with an agreement with the Taiwan NJC Corp to assist owners of fallow farmland to produce crops that can be used to produce biodiesel.

Biodiesel is a clean-burning alternative fuel that is non-toxic and virtually free of harmful sulfur and aromatics. It an be mixed at any level with diesel to create a biodiesel blend.

According to the Council of Agriculture, Taiwan has about 220,000 hectares of fallow farmland, which can be used to grow enough crops to produce 110,000 kiloliters of biodiesel per year. This in turn can reduce the nation's annual emissions of carbon dioxide by 330,000 tonnes.

Under the agreement, a farmer will be entitled to a guaranteed price plus a subsidy if the crops supplied are up to required standards. It is estimated that about 2,000 hectares of fallow farmland will be included in the initial production plan in 2006, and will be used to grow soybeans and sunflowers. The scope of the plan will be further expanded in the future.