Australia offers donation to IPB

BOGOR: The Australian government has provided financial assistance to the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) to help the school contain plant diseases.

Aunur Rauf, a senior lecturer at IPB, disclosed on Sunday that Australia was worried that plantation diseases in Indonesia would spread to Australia and affect its plantation industry.

Rauf said that an outbreak in an onion field in Brebes, Central Java, was an example of the danger of certain diseases.

Another example was a failed harvest because of certain types of flies, known as liriomiza cinensis. The Australian government expressed concern about them and the possibility that they may be spread to its territory if not checked properly.

Raud would not reveal the amount of money given the school. He said that in a time of crisis, any assistance would be helpful. -- Antara