Bina Graha donates nut seeds

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.