Flower expo at Rawa Belong

JAKARTA (JP): Flower traders and floriculturalists at the popular Rawa Belong market in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta, are to hold a 12-day exhibition at their trading stands on Jl. H. Sulaeman beginning this Wednesday.

The flower and decorative plants' fair is intended to commemorate Jakarta's 473th anniversary (on June 22) and also Indonesia's 55th anniversary (on Aug.17), head of the City Agriculture Agency Srikanti Wiwahari said over the weekend.

"In the first week, the event will offer various activities, including bidding for flowers, ornamental plants and their accessories," Srikanti said.

The events will be followed by, among other things, competitions for drawing, photography, design and wedding decoration, she explained.

The Rawa Belong flower promotion and marketing center is a distribution center for flowers and other ornamental plants from Bandung, Cipanas, Garut, and Sukabumi in West Java, Bandungan, Magelang, and Tegal in Central Java, and Pasuruan and Surabaya in East Java, Srikanti said.

This flower center in the capital has been blossoming with sales reaching the precrisis level of 1997.

Bambang Wisanggeni, head of the center, said recently that sales were expected to reach Rp 10 billion between July and August this year, similar to the figure recorded during the same period in 1997,

The 250 Rawa Belong flower traders and floriculturalists plan to set up a joint website to help boost sales and stage at least two flower shows per year. (nvn)