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.