Farmers in Palpa use sajiwan oil in grinding mill, water pump

PALPA : After successfully testing sajiwan oil in vehicles, farmers in the district have started testing sajiwan oil in three different machines -- grinding mill, tractor and water pump.

Bhairav Darshan Sajiwan Energy Promotion Group has started a three-month trial by using sajiwan oil as fuel in grinding mill, tractor and water pump. According to the Group, they would assess the performance of the grinding mill, tractor and water pump for three months. The group has been operating tractor using sajiwan oil as fuel from Jarepipal to district headquarters Tansen bazaar on daily basis.

Keshab Karki, a sajiwan oil promoter of Palpa, said they had used 80 per cent diesel and 20 per cent sajiwan oil, as they could not purify the required amount of sajiwan oil due to the lack of necessary technology.

Ram Bahadur Raut, advisor to the group, said they were studying the performance of the machineries powered by sajiwan oil.

The group has also been providing training to about 40 farmers of Lumbini and Gandaki zones on sajiwan farming. Farmers in Palpa are attracted towards sajiwan farming after the successful test of sajiwan oil in vehicles.

Sajiwan oil is extracted from sajiwan seeds and later purified to use it as fuel.

Karki, who hails from Madanpokhara VDC in the district, succeeded in driving a four-wheeler powered by sajiwan oil last year. Karki also used oil extracted from resin collected from pine tree to power his two-wheeler.