Bina Graha donates nut seeds

PALU, Central Sulawesi: The Bina Graha presidential office in Jakarta will provide superior quality cashew nut seeds to farmers in the Banggai Islands, Central Sulawesi, in a bid to increase smallholder crop production.

"The superior seeds, to be distributed for free by the Bina Graha, will be cultivated on a 500-hectare smallholding area on the islands," the head of the provincial plantation service, Nursidah Kasim Bantilan, said here yesterday.

Geographical conditions in the islands were suitable for the cultivation of cashew trees, she told Antara.

The Central Sulawesi administration has targeted Banggai for the development of cashews through projects funded by the central and provincial adminstrations since the outset of the Repelita V (Five-Year Development Plan 1989-1994).

Nursidah said cashews provided double economic value, as the nuts were in high export demand, and the essence extracted from the cashew plant was refined locally into a drink.

The head of the Banggai district plantation service, Taslim SP, said previously that cashews were cultivated in seven subdistricts on a total area of 5,108 hectares.