Wasteland utilisation
Demonstrated the potential of converting unproductive land into economically viable cultivation areas — contributing to soil conservation, erosion prevention and increased green cover.
Jatropha cultivation programme
A Coodu Trust initiative promoting bio-diesel crop cultivation on wasteland and marginal land in Karur, Trichy, Tirunelveli and Sivagangai districts of Tamil Nadu.
2,00,000
Seedlings distributed
500 Ha
Cultivation area promoted
4
Districts — Karur, Trichy, Tirunelveli & Sivagangai
2004–05
Year of the awareness training
The project
Turning wasteland into a livelihood crop
Project mission
Promote Jatropha curcas cultivation as a viable livelihood option for farmers by producing and distributing quality seedlings and giving awareness training on bio-diesel crop cultivation on wasteland and marginal lands — creating a new source of income for rural communities on land that was earning nothing.
In 2004–05 Coodu Trust gave awareness training on Jatropha curcas to farmers of Karur, Trichy, Tirunelveli and Sivagangai districts. Farmers were educated on soil fertility, rainfall pattern, agro-climate and the economic situation, and were offered a business plan under which an individual farmer could cultivate and sell Jatropha, earning valuable foreign exchange.
Nearly 2,00,000 seedlings were produced and distributed to the various districts, and the Trust took the initiative to promote Jatropha cultivation across 500 hectares — on wasteland and marginal land not suited to conventional food crops, so biofuel plantations never competed with food production.
Jatropha curcas — known as “Kattamanakku” in Tamil — is valued for its oil-rich seeds, which are pressed for biodiesel. The work sat within Coodu Trust's wider Tamil Nadu Comprehensive Watershed Programme plantation activity, alongside summer ploughing, percolation pond de-silting, fodder development and nursery raising, and connected small and marginal farmers and wasteland owners in drought-prone areas to an alternative source of income.
- Biofuel cultivation
- Wasteland reclamation
- Seedling distribution
- Technical guidance
Why this work matters
The challenge on the ground — and our answer
The challenge
Wasteland lying unproductive
Marginal and degraded land unsuited to conventional food crops sat idle — generating no income for the rural families who held it.
Our response
500 hectares of wasteland put to work
Jatropha cultivation promoted across 500 hectares of wasteland and marginal land — converting unproductive plots into biofuel plantations without competing with food production.
The challenge
Farm losses from irregular rainfall
Farmers in drought-prone districts faced repeated losses due to irregular rainfall — and adopting an unfamiliar alternative crop takes more than seeds alone.
Our response
An alternative crop, with the economics explained
Nearly 2,00,000 seedlings produced and distributed, with awareness training on soil fertility, rainfall pattern, agro-climate and economics — plus a business plan showing how an individual farmer could cultivate and sell the crop.
At a glance
The essentials
- Scheme
- Trust initiativeRun by Coodu Trust within its Tamil Nadu Comprehensive Watershed Programme plantation activity
- Period
- 2004–2005The year the awareness training and seedling distribution are recorded
- Coverage
- 4 districts, Tamil NaduKarur, Trichy, Tirunelveli and Sivagangai — drought-prone and wasteland-dominant areas
- Beneficiaries
- Small & marginal farmersWasteland owners and rural communities
- Scale
- Nearly 2,00,000 seedlingsCultivation promoted across 500 hectares of wasteland and marginal land
- Part of
- Plantation & afforestation portfolioFocus on biofuel cultivation & wasteland reclamation
Outcomes
What the project changed
Farmer engagement
Distributed nearly 2,00,000 seedlings across four districts, demonstrating strong farmer interest in alternative crops and giving grassroots farming communities a costed route into biofuel cultivation.
Lessons for the future
Provided valuable insights into promoting alternative crops and engaging farmers in new agricultural practices — informing Coodu Trust's subsequent sustainable agriculture initiatives.
Get involved
Support plantation & livelihood crops
Join us in turning wasteland into working land — plantation programmes that create sustainable income for farming households while restoring green cover across Tamil Nadu.