Teresina (Piauí), March 26, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - Yesterday (25), the federal and state governments, together with private enterprise, inaugurated a new model of agricultural production that can be adopted in various regions of the semi-arid Northeast. 560 families of rural workers will plant castor beans to manufacture biofuel. The nucleus of production is installed in the municipality of Canto do Buriti, 500 kilometers from Teresina, capital of the state of Piauí.

A technical cooperation agreement signed at the inauguration of the nucleus will promote, stimulate, and accompany the production and the use of the biofuel obtained through the processing of the castor beans. The agreement was signed by the Ministers of Social Development, Patrus Ananias, Agrarian Development, Miguel Rossetto, and Mines and Energy, Dilma Rousseff; the governor of the state, Wellington Dias; and the president of the Brasil EcoDiesel Company, Daniel Birmann.

The castor beans will be cultivated in association with other crops, especially beans. Each family farmer will occupy an area of 18 hectares, 15 of which will be used to cultivate castor beans and 3 for other subsistence crops. It is estimated that 15 thousand tons of castor beans will be produced through March, 2005, and each family is expected to earn an average of R$ 700.00 per month. The property was divided into 16 cells, each containing 625 hectares and capable of supporting 35 families.

Biodiesel is the federal government's main experiment with alternative fuel. Derived from biomass, natural diesel lowers the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, is biodegradable, and doesn't contain lead. It can be used in its pure state or mixed with diesel obtained from petroleum.

According to Minister Rousseff, the Canto do Buriti initiative will be one of the models for the implantation of biodiesel manufacture in Brazil, since castor beans are well-adapted to the semi-arid Northeast and give rise to a product of high quality. "We are forging a new path for the economic and social development of the country. We shall extract green petroleum from the Northeast," she emphasized.

The semi-arid zone is one of the poorest regions in the country. It encompasses nearly all the states in the Northeast region and parts of the states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo and covers around 900 thousand square kilometers.

Translator: David Silberstein