Jatropha bandwagon, rolls on

A Ukrainian company is reported to have bought Mozambican firm Inveragro and 11,000 hectares of land in a deal worth US$ 1 million to plant jatropha, the wonder plant that grows like hell and produces beans that contain a substitute diesel oil. Situated on a former cotton plantation, the plan is to employ 480 people. First harvest is expected in December (my, that is quick), with oil extraction scheduled to begin at the end of 2008. How curious that cotton did not work too well. Maybe the magic bean will.