The biofuel production plant at the University of Brasilia was visited today by Haiti’s agriculture minister, Joanas Gué. According to the Head of Biofuel in Brazil’s Ministry for Agrarian Development, Édna Carmélio, who accompanied Mr Gué on his visit, the Haitian government is interested not only in biofuel production technology but also in the possibility of developing its own agriculture and boosting food production.

According to Ms Carmélio, Haiti would be able to copy aspects of the Brazilian model such as the use of financial incentives to encourage industry to buy biofuel from small farmers and provide technical assistance with the planting of the crops from which biofuel is produced.

Biofuel can be produced from castor beans, oil palms, sunflowers, babaçu nuts, peanuts, jatropha and soya. Brazil already has seven biofuel plants in operation, with a total production capacity of 91 million litres per year, and the National Oil Agency is in the process of ensuring that other 15 plants conform to its regulations.

According to the target set by the Ministry for Agrarian Development, Brazil will be producing biofuel at a rate of 1 billion litres per year by the end of 2007.

Source: Agência Brasil