Flower, pet exhibition opens

Flower, pet exhibition opens

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Surjadi Soedirdja yesterday opened the
12th Flora and Fauna (Flona) Jakarta, an annual two-week
exhibition of house plants and pet animals, at the Banteng
Square, Central Jakarta.

In his speech prior to opening the exhibition, Surjadi hoped
that the exhibition would help promote environmental-based city
development. He also urged city residents to keep going with the
successful one-million trees program, an ambitious project the
city administration launched in January last year to increase the
city's green areas and make Jakarta more livable.

Surjadi said the annual exhibition, which is being held to
mark the city's 466th birthday and the 49th anniversary of
Indonesian independence, is aimed at informing the public, and
exchanging information about various kinds of plants and pets.

"It provides, of course, an opportunity for growers and animal
breeders to market their products," he added.

The exhibition features 248 stands and has 174 participants.
The participants mostly come from Jakarta but there is also a
fruit tree seller from Majalengka, West Java, a chicken farm from
Bekasi and some plants sellers from Bogor also are taking part.

The city farming office, the city fishery office, the city
agricultural office and the city parks office are all there to
extend information free of charge to the public about growing
plants and raising pets.

Syamsir Alam, head of the city park office, told The Jakarta
Post that from March to April, his office trained people on how
to lay out a garden.

"Anyone who is interested in designing gardens, especially
low-income beginners, are encouraged to apply for a free course,"
Syamsir said.

Oetoro, head of the city farming office, told the Post that
his office gave a package program worth Rp 150,000 (US$69) to a
group of chicken farmers which belong to the Ayam Buras
Cooperative, a cooperative set up by his office.

Oetoro said the package includes poultry feed and 20 day-old-
chickens, which the members of the cooperative are obliged to
raise. "After raising the chickens, they are required to give
new, 20 day-old-chickens back to us, which we will give to other
chicken farmers," he said.

Oetoro said his office also gives low-interest loans to
chicken farmers. So far, we have given loans worth Rp 5 million
to 20 chicken farmers, he added.

Mrs. Ipih, the subdivisional head of the city fishery office,
told the Post that her office gives free courses to poor
fishermen of the Seribu Island, North Jakarta. In these courses,
the fisherman are taught how to use improved tools for catching
fish, how to process their catch, and how to cultivate seaweed
and process it into food. (arf)