A study conducted by a team from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna, belied claims and apprehensions that lands intended for food production will be converted into jatropha plantations.

A team headed by Nena Espiritu said conversion is not even a problem, because farmers themselves are happy they have a source of income by planting unproductive areas at the Tamlang Valley , Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental, to jatropha.

Besides, planting of jatropha is also guided by the comprehensive land use plan of respective local government units, the team said.

The study showed that only 5 percent of Tamlang Valley is arable and the rest comprise of rolling hills which is suitable for jatropha plantation.

In leasing 10,000 hectares of land in Tamlang Valley , former Rep. Herminio Teves (Neg. Or., 3rd District) has introduced a scheme where farmers are paid a daily wage for planting jatropha, with a ready market for their produce.

Another scheme is the “plant now, pay later” program, which the farmers readily accepted without any collateral.

Fears of losing ownership of their farms have been extinguished, Teves said, adding that he only wanted the seeds of jatropha to be processed into alternate source of fuel, and be able to help the government address high cost of fuel in the world market.

Jatropha will soon be like copra, everybody will be planting and selling them someday to a biodisel plant which will be established in Negros Oriental, Teves added.

“We don't care who owns the jatropha; we just want to buy the product because our intention really is to put up a plant that will produce biodiesel in line with government programs,” Teves' grandson, current Rep. Henry Pryde Teves (Neg. Or., 3rd district) said.

Negros Oriental was one of the study sites on socio-economic assessment of jatropha plantation, promotion and development.

The UP Los Baños team visited Tamlang Valley and the LGU-led jatropha plantation of Bayawan City .

They have been to Camarines Sur, Quezon and will be in Mindanao and Palawan .

Espiritu's group said that, for a small farmer, it's not an option to convert their farms into jatropha plantation, but they are happy to have another source of income and at the same time to reforest Tamlang Valley .

Conversion is not a problem, because not everybody can go into jatropha planting, it's a big investment,” Espiritu pointed out.* JG

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