By Nesia Mhaka
Agricultural sector players have been urged to consider and invest more in castor bean production as it can boost the economic fortunes of the country through bio-diesel production.
Bio-diesel is a liquid mixture of free fatty acids with similar properties to diesel. The name comes from the fact that the diesel is produced from renewable oils and not from fossil crude oil.
Many African countries are adopting bio-fuels, setting aside vast tracts of land for the plantation of bio-fuel crops.
In Africa, sugarcane, jatropha and castor bean are some of the crops that have attracted a number of investors in the bio-fuel market.
Last year, Government launched a National Bio-fuels Policy of Zimbabwe which seeks to improve the long-term growth, viability and sustainability of the bio-fuels sector, among other things.
More importantly, benefits to be derived from the policy as envisaged by the Government are, the reduction of the county’s dependence on imported petroleum products and the stabilisation of fuel prices.
Bio-diesel from Castor Oil offers environmental and technical benefits, therefore, it can be considered as a viable alternative in the present and future to other forms of biodiesel.
Bio-diesel from castor oil offers a wide range of benefits, among them, is that it is biodegradable, non-toxic, renewable, and safe handling, it can be used alone, and it presents low greenhouse gas emission, high flash point, and similar energetic content to fossil diesel.
Bio-diesel from castor oil has different advantages in comparison to fossil diesel, it is biodegradable, non-toxic, and renewable.
It also causes low greenhouse gas emission as it is 80 percent less carbon dioxide emissions and is sulphur free and during combustion, it decreases the unburned and aromatic hydrocarbons.
Speaking in an interview earlier this week, Castor Oil co-founder, Mr Al Silva said investing in castor bean production for bio-diesel is a way to economic development.
He said that he is using his resources in the petroleum business in Canada to assist Zimbabwe reach independent energy status using bio-diesel and bio-motor oil.
“We are killing ourselves in Zimbabwe, currently motor oil is being processed from plastic bags in United Arab Emirates and being sold to us here in Zimbabwe. So when we drive our cars we are inhaling deadly toxins.
“This combined with fossil fuel diesel, the roads of Zimbabwe are unbearable with so much pollution. There is a better way. Using bio-diesel and bio-motor oil, we will reduce our foreign currency spending on foreign fuels, and spend it on our rural farmers. Our biodiesel is smoke-less and only emits organic odours,” he said.
Mr Silva said the certification will help the company bring a universal standard to farming castor beans.
“For now, Castor Oil is taking one step at a time and is happy to have been approved as a certifying agency for castor bean, through a notice published in the Government Gazette end of last year.
“The latest development will bring consumer confidence to the farming project while also helping us bring standards across Africa.
“And with the free trade across Africa, it will help us bring a universal standard to farming castor beans in Zimbabwe,” he said.
Mr Silva added that bio-diesel from castor oil has a variety of benefits over conventional diesel.
“The use of castor oil has attracted attention for producing and optimizing biodiesel production, due to the high content of ricin oleic fatty acid and the possibility to esterify with only methanol, which assures low production costs.
“Bio-diesel from castor oil has different advantages over conventional diesel. Some of them are biodegradable, non-toxic, and renewable, they can be used alone, low greenhouse gas emission, among others,” said Mr Silva.
He added that Castor bean is tolerant to two main abiotic stresses, salinity and drought, making its cultivation possible in marginal lands that are not suitable for food crops.
“The deep taproot and the extensive root system enable castor bean plants to take up water from deep soil layers, surviving in dry conditions under which other crops would be severely inhibited.
“Castor bean is well known to be tolerant to two main abiotic stresses, salinity and drought, making its cultivation possible in marginal lands that are not suitable for food crops,” he added.
Currently Oil Castor has 650 active farmers in Rwanda, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Djibouti, Lesotho, Botswana, Morocco, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Dubai, Seychelles, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Kuwait, Namibia, Congo and Zambia.
