A BIG nursery for jatropha (tagumbao to the Ilocanos) is one of the projects identified to be built in the North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle super region.
In the briefing paper for the NLAQ outlined last month here by Presidential Management Staff Director General Arthur Yap before governors, city mayors and heads of regional government line agencies, the massive planting of jatropha is being encouraged by the government to produce cheap bio-diesel fuel for vehicles and reduce consumption of costly gasoline and diesel fuel imported from the Middle East.
At present, jatropha is now being planted extensively in Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan to produce seeds that can be processed into bio-diesel for vehicles.
Jatropha grows abundantly in the wild in these provinces but were largely ignord till its potential as an alterrnative source of energy was discovered.
Other alternative sources of energy that will be developed in NLAQ are the Batanes Wind Power project and the expansion of the Ilocos Norte Wind Power project.
NLAQ is envisioned by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to become the food basket of the Urban Beltway and other parts of the country, including North Asia.