Despite dwindling land, agriculture still feasible

Despite dwindling land, agriculture still feasible

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Amid dwindling farming land, Jakarta could still develop
agribusiness, growing certain plants that do not need much land
to grow in or take a long time to harvest.

Sugiharto of privately-owned National University's
agricultural school said on Saturday it was still feasible to
develop the business by growing plants, fruit trees or vegetables
as long as they did not need a huge amount of land and could be
harvested within a short period of time.

"We have conducted a study here and found that it is still
feasible to do agribusiness in several places in Jakarta,"
Sugiharto told The Jakarta Post at his university's stand at the
Agribusiness Fair and Forest Production Festival at Lapangan
Banteng park, Central Jakarta,

He said several places in South Jakarta, West Jakarta and East
Jakarta, were still producing fruit, such as melons, and
vegetables.

But he said the business could not be conducted in North
Jakarta due to sea water abrasion.

Besides fruits and vegetables, he said, flowers, including
orchids, were still an attractive commodity and many people in
the city are engaged in floral business.

Another expo participant, Rahmat, supported Sugiharto's
statement, saying that Jakarta residents could still count on
agribusiness.

"The business can support our family's daily needs despite the
current economic crisis," said Rahmat, a trader of fruit trees in
Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta.

He said many traders grew trees, such as mangoes and oranges,
which could be planted in houses with a small yard.

There are a number of empty plots of land left abandoned by
developers due to the prolonged economic crisis. People have made
use of the idle land in several places in the city by growing
trees and vegetables. They also grow vegetables along the
riverbanks.

The current expo, which will last until next Sunday, was
joined by dozens of participants from the city's five
mayoralties, as well as some provinces of Lampung, Bali, South
Kalimantan, Central Java, West Java and East Java. There is also
a stand that displays Thailand's agricultural products.

The fair, which was opened on Friday, also features several
seminars on mangrove preservation and tropical fruit from across
the archipelago.

However, there were not many visitors on the second day.

"I don't know whether it's because of the Bali bombing or
because the fair is being held at a time when people have already
spent their salaries," Sugiharto said.