22/12/05 JAKARTA, (Asia Pulse) - Indonesia's Ministry of Agriculture and the Indonesian Plantation Research Institute (LRPI) are developing 50 hectares of castor oil palm seedlings to reach a 2006 target of 150,000 hectares for biodiesel.

"Within a year, we will have 50 hectares of seedling estates in Central Java, East Java and West Java," said the head of the ministry`s research and development agency, Ahmad Suryana, Wednesday.

Suryana said that his office is developing three commodities which are important for the industry, namely castor palm oil, palm oil and cassava.

"We`re trying to develop superior varieties which can produce a lot," he added.

Meanwhile, Didiek Hadjar Goenadi, LRPI executive director, said that the 50 hectare estate can produce 100 thousand hectares of seedlings.

"We also urge the private sector to cultivate castor oil palm," he added. (ANTARA)