Agriculture ministry to seek diversity in biofuel sources

The farm ministry will begin a search in fiscal 2007 for natural resources, including farm products and their residues, that can be used to make biofuel.

Studies will be conducted at 900 locations nationwide over a three-year period with the aim of introducing production of a range of biofuel resources, according to Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry officials.

The ministry plans to collate information on the number of potential biofuel sources and the costs involved using them for fuel, they said.

Relying only on farm products and their residues, including sugar cane, rice husks and straw, will not be enough to enable the economy to secure a stable supply of biofuel, the officials said. The ministry will look for a greater variety of promising sources.