How will manual processing affect the Jatropha industry?
Manual processing, which is time consuming and cost ineffective due to the high reliance on workers, will cause the Jatropha industry to be less sustainable especially when large scale production is envisaged. In Malaysia, a total of 259,906 ha of Jatropha plantation area have already been identified in 2012 .
Is Jatropha a promising crop for biodiesel production?
Jatropha is a promising crop for biodiesel production but the technology is still in its infancy , . The development is still in progress but not much has been realised to date. Further, most of the studies focus on Jatropha plantations, oil extraction and biodiesel production.
How Jatropha seeds can be processed effectively without mechanisation?
The processing of large quantities of Jatropha seeds cannot be accomplished effectively without the assistance of mechanisation. All of the abovementioned machines or tools can play a role in the business operations and the technical activities that must be conducted so that the technology is effective and profitable.
How to reduce seed cost in Jatropha biodiesel industry?
The reduction in the price of the seed from US$0.10 to US$0.08 per kg can decrease the price of the crude oil from US$0.83 to US$0.67 per litre . As a result, the process of mechanisation has become the primary development trend to reduce the seed cost in the Jatropha biodiesel industry.