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)