Government to establish Agrotourism complex

Government to establish Agrotourism complex

JAKARTA (JP): In a move to help traders survive the continuing
slump in business, the city administration is planning to develop
the Flower and Decorative Plants Promotion Center in Rawa Belong,
West Jakarta, into an Agrobusiness Tourism site, an official said
on Friday.

"We plan to develop the area as a tourist destination," the
center's head Bambang Wisanggeni said.

The plan will help boost business, especially for the flower
trade, which has been on a downward trend since the economic
crisis hit the country in mid-1997.

Data at the center shows a decreasing trend in orchid sales
which stood at Rp 4.2 billion in 1997 and fell to Rp 3.3 billion
in 1998. While for subtropical flowers (including roses) the
sales were recorded at Rp 8.4 billion in 1997 and dropped to Rp
7.2 billion in 1998. Bambang said the numbers had picked up
slightly in 1999.

He said the project will also enhance the city's tourism.

"The project will benefit from the area's popular image as a
hotbed for decorative plants," he said.

Bambang said the idea had gotten the City Development Planning
Board's approval. "We'll also coordinate with the City Tourism
Agency."

Aside from the Agrotourism project, the center plans to finish
its current project of establishing an area for decorative plants
in May, ahead of the upcoming exhibition by the City Agricultural
Agency which is slated for the middle of this year.

Bambang emphasized the importance of increasing farmers'
participation in exhibitions, a move that will help them widen
their marketing networks.

The center will continue to provide information for farmers in
sorting, grading and packaging the cut-flowers prior to
distribution.

Campaign

Bambang said the center was considering the idea of organizing
campaigns persuading people to buy flowers, a move which would
help flower farmers immensely.

"We get the cut-flowers from various farmers, including from
Central and East Java."

He said farmers were seriously hit by the economic crisis as
supplies were constant but the number of buyers had dropped
significantly.

He praised some farmers for their cleverness by selling dried
flowers processed from the piles of unsold fresh flowers.

"They develop their own ways to dry the flowers, but since
they have little knowledge of the process, they use certain kinds
of flowers which do not need delicate handling and a complex
drying process," he said.

His office would help develop methods to dry delicate flowers,
such as roses, Bambang added. (06)