Jatropha Markets

Jatropha Industries

The most substantial potential of Jatropha lies in the product of bio-diesel from the seeds it produces. Jatropha seeds are harvested, cracked and peeled using simple and cost-effective equipment and then pressed to extract the oil within them. The oil is then processed to produce bio-diesel that can be used directly in diesel engines without further modification.

Jatropha refinement produces useful byproducts. After the oil is extracted, the remaining waste materials can be used as biomass that can be used in generating plants to produce electricity. The byproducts can also be compacted into what are called press cakes. Research has shown that these press cakes make excellent fertilizer for both Jatropha and other crops.

Recently another potential market for Jatropha products has come to light. As the market for Jatropha bio-diesel expands, there will also be a need for a consistent supply of jatropha seeds in order to continue growth and expansion of the industry.

Market Growth

Fossil fuels are continually decreasing in supply. As countries such as China and India become more and more industrialized their demand for fuel increases and this has put great pressure on world oil stocks. Demand has created the Jatropha industry and will also grow it substantially over the next decades. Because Jatropha has the potential to alleviate this pressure on multiple fronts (vehicle fuel and electricity production), an exploding market is inevitable.

Many countries in Asia, Africa and South America have invested in jatropha within their borders in order to increase their potential for export and thus economic stability. India, for example, has invested greatly, by providing impoverished farmers, in rural areas with plants and tools to start their own plantations whilst actively seeking private domestic and foreign investment for its endeavors. Active farmers enjoy not only energy self-sufficiency but also the ability to produce an income from scrubland that would otherwise be unprofitable. The government of India purchases the bio-diesel from the farmers for a set price, thus the farmers are guaranteed to move their product into the market. Other countries including China are also working to set up subsidization strategies to jumpstart the Jatropha Market.

Jatropha is environmentally friendly

Jatropha production and refinement is an environmentally sound process. Because the equipment required to produce Jatropha is easily accessible and simple, very little environmental damage is sustained from their production. Also, the process by which the oil is obtained from the seeds requires very little fuel consumption. Growing Jatropha is accomplished with very little maintenance, and fertilizer can be obtained from the byproduct of oil production. All of these facts allow bio-diesel fuel from Jatropha to be produced by a process that is carbon neutral. The crops themselves take as much carbon dioxide out of the air as the entire production process emits.

Currently the market for Jatropha is in its infancy, as its products begin to replace fossil fuels. However, Jatropha oil production has the potential to take a large piece of the market share for fuel in the coming years. As the world searches viable alternatives to traditional fuels that are environmentally friendly, the market for Jatropha oil stands to grow substantially. Market growth is inevitable as Jatropha products become more mainstream. The socioeconomic impact of small farmers in impoverished countries becoming viable contributors to their respective economies is an added benefit of increasing markets for Jatropha.