It has been a 16-year story of “learning by doing” since 2007

It has been extremely challenging, at time Challenges to overcome: poor availability of necessary inputs such as fertilizers and machinery, very poor infrastructure, organisation of activities in a remote area, lack of standardised seeds and best cultivation practices in the beginning Non-toxic jatropha found to be more attractive for the JatroGreen project due to several positives side eects including: early productivity, potential for high-value use of byproducts in the project We aim to reach 1000ha well managed planted area of non-toxic jatropha in the next 3-4 years

Several interventions have been seen to be essential to establishment of profitable cultivation practices under the conditions on the project site:

• Ripping to loosen the soil
• Remediation of high soil acidity
• Composting of the grasses to raise organic content of soil
• Development of an adapted calendar of activities
• Identification of suitable seed material and establishment method
• Harvesting management

• The project has successfully established a small-scale robust processing equipment for jatropha seeds
• Improvisation to be taken up to process non-toxic jatropha seeds for producing:
  • Non-toxic jatropha oil
  • Seed kernel meal as feed for chicken and fish
  • Shell pellets as burning material

• A school has been established on the project area in 2017 with an initial 120 students in classes 1a and 1b. The children are provided with one meal during the day. Being the first school in the area, there are students from 5 years to 12 years that are enrolled in class 1.
• The project has partnered with another agency active in Madagascar to organise occasional medical camps in the area for the local population.
• Several subsidiary farming operations with a demonstration character has been taken up, e.g. chicken faming, rice farming etc to encourage villagers to take these up on their own.