GEM Biofuels jatropha crops underperform “significantly” in Madagascar

In the United Kingdom, GEM Biofuels reports that their jatropha plantations have not fared as well as hoped.  An internal review has made it clear that despite having planted 55,737 hectares of Jatropha in Madagascar between 2007 and 2009, a lack of resources has resulted in significantly less success than had been hoped.

Low intervention and maintenance following planting has resulted in a lower than anticipated number of plants reaching maturity and producing oil-bearing seeds.  The Board has commissioned external agronomic consultants to conduct a full review of both the Company’s plantations in Madagascar and to assess the potential of its land bank for other crops.