First maritime and fishery school

YOGYAKARTA: Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University (UGM) plans to open a maritime and fishery school that will serve as the country's think tank for maritime legislation and marine resources exploitation.

UGM Rector Sofian Effendi told a fishing seminar in Yogyakarta on Monday that as a counterpart of the government and the fishing industry, the school would prepare maritime personnel and develop maritime technology.

The nation's oldest university will thus help create the legal framework for resources utilization, qualified personnel for maritime management and suitable technology for sustainable exploitation of maritime resources.

"Indonesia's marine wealth potential stands at 6.2 million tons of fish a year and this capacity has not been utilized to a high degree of economic efficiency," the rector added. -- Antara

NTB registers rice surplus

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: With rice production at over 700,000 tons last year, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) registered a big surplus and has since supplied rice to several neighboring provinces.

NTB Governor Harun Al Rasyid reported to the provincial legislative council in Mataram on Monday that his region produced 1.4 tons of dry unhusked rice (GKG) last year, equivalent to 735,393 tons of rice.

In terms of output, NTB had a surplus of 184,213 tons after local consumption of 551,180 tons, enabling it to cover the rice shortages of neighboring provinces, like East Nusa Tenggara, Papua and Maluku.

Apart from paddy and secondary crops, NTB is also known as a major horticultural producer, with increasing paprika and tomato exports from East Lombok to Singapore and Hong Kong. -- Antara

Gorontalo promotes 'Agropolitan' campaign

GORONTALO, Gorontalo: Gorontalo is launching a crop planting campaign called 'Agropolitan' Program with the support of all secondary and elementary schools in the province.

Head of the province's education office Irvan Mbuinga said here on Monday that the region had at least 120 secondary schools and 820 primary schools in two regencies and a municipality, with school yards large enough for planting.

The schools have a total combined area of 470 hectares of idle land, where crops such as corn can be planted under the provincial program, for local consumption as well as for study purposes.

So far, most of the schools grow various flowers, "they should now turn to crops with economic value, which at the same time prepares the students to become professional agribusiness people," he added. -- Antara