Zimbabwe's first biodiesel plant! Will it be an economic lifeline for Zim?

A recent Timesonline article carries a terrible story about Nomatter Tagarira, a spirit medium, who had fooled the Zimbabwean government by claiming that she could conjure refined diesel out of a rock by striking it with her staff just like Moses of the Bible used to do. In other words, Ms Tagarira wanted to be today's Moses (Mose walero) for Zimbabwe. After witnessing her apparently miraculous gift, ministers in President Robert Mugabe's government gave her five billion Zimbabwean dollars in cash (worth £1.7 million at at that time) in return for the fuel. Ms Tagarira was also given a farm, said to have been seized from its white owner during Mr Mugabe’s lawless land grab, as well as food and services that included a round-the-clock armed guard on the rock in the district of Chinhoyi 60 miles (100km) from Harare, the capital. But more than a year later, the officials realized they had been duped. Ms Tagarira is now in custody, awaiting trial on charges of fraud or, alternatively, of being “a criminal nuisance”.

This story is just a further confirmation of the nightmare of hyperinflation, famine and infra-structural collapse that Zimbabwe, which was once one of Africa's most prosperous countries, is undergoing. But coming hot on the heels of the "miracle" fuel saga, is an exciting development which every Zimbabwean must be proud of. Last month, President Robert Mugabe commissioned the first biodiesel production plant in the country. The new US$80 million biodiesel fuel plant, located about 15 kilometres north-west of Harare, is a joint venture between the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and a South Korean energy technology firm. This plant has the capacity to produce 100 million litres of biodiesel annually at its peak from cotton seed, soya beans, jatropha and sunflower seed. President Mugabe told guests at the plant's official opening that

As a nation we have once again demonstrated that the ill-fated sanctions against the innocent people of Zimbabwe can never subdue our resilience and inner propulsion to succeed and remain on our feet as a nation.

Soon, our economy will be paying us back the dividends of the seedlings of progression we are planting across different productive sectors. Zimbabwe was never there to collapse, is never there to collapse and will never be there to collapse.

Although I am not a fan of President Mugabe's strong speeches against the West, I am very excited with the opening of the biodiesel plant in Zimbabwe. I just hope that this plant will go a long way in solving Zimbabwe's economic problems. But I have one small question here. If the biodiesel plant revolutionizes Zimbabwe's economy as desired by most of us, will it create an African Chavez in Mugabe? Well, that aside, let me urge Malawi and other countries in the Sub Saharan Africa region to emulate Zimbabwe's example.

Jatropha farming in Malawi: Any progress?

I don't like Malawi's overdependence on tobacco as a source of foreign exchange. Tobacco is a very destructive crop not only to the smoker but also to the environment. A list of dangers associated with tobacco smoking can be found here. During my undergraduate days, I remember attending one Student Christian Organization of Malawi (SCOM) meeting where a preacher was denouncing tobacco smoking from a biblical perspective. In his sermon, among other things, he said that if God intended human beings to be tobacco smokers, he would have created a chimney on top of our heads. With due respect to all tobacco smokers, I agree with that preacher 100%. Imagine staying in a house without a chimney or driving a car without an exhaust pipe. The burning of tobacco has been reported to be the main source of indoor air pollution in the developed world. This report further says that tobacco smoke contains about 4,000 chemicals, including 50 that are known to cause cancer. Besides that, cigarettes and other smoking-related materials (matches, etc.) are also a common cause of fires. Apart from causing tremendous harm to human health, the tobacco industry also causes a lot of damage to the environment. Trees are cut down so that they can be used as fuel for curing tobacco leaves. It has been pointed out that for every 300 cigarettes manufactured, one tree is cut down for curing. As a result, almost nine million acres of forests are lost each year.I do not have to go into the environmental effects of all this.I am sure you know them. If not, just google them out.


Nowadays, I get very excited when I hear news about the global anti-tobacco policies, although the masses in Malawi and other developing countries are not happy. In my case, I see this as an opportunity for Malawi to look into other useful crops to replace the destructive tobacco. Jatropha is said to be one of those dream crops. Jatropha is a perenial shrub suited to tropical climates with 50 years life span. It starts bearing seeds after two years of planting. Seeds with shell have an oil content of 32%-35%. This oil can be used for the production of biodiesel, soap, mosquito repellent, organic fertiliser etc. Jatropha has a number of advantages which include:

• Low cost seeds;
• High oil content;
• Increased safety due to higher flash point;
• Small gestation period;
• Growth on good and degraded soil;
• Growth in low and high rainfall areas;
• Does not require special expertise to farm;
• Seeds can be harvested in non-rainy season;
• Plant size makes collection of seeds more convenient;

India is one of the countries that has embarked on a massive Jatropha farming promotion. In Malawi, a similar promotion was reported in 2005. The Biodiesel Association of Malawi, led by Osman Ibrahim was busy encouraging farmers to abandon tobacco and switch to Jatropha as a cash crop. Now, almost two years down the line, I do not hear much about the Biodiesel Association of Malawi and jatropha farming in Malawi in general.When I searched the Internet, I only managed to unearth old news reports. Nothing current! Actually, by now, the Biodiesel Association of Malawi should have put up their own website (like the Indians are doing) where all those interested in this seemingly lucrative crop would get information easily.

Personally, I am really interested in jatropha.That's why I have this burning desire to know the progress on jatropha farming in Malawi.Has there been any progress? Can someone out there help me?