Indonesia to develop agro-biotechnology

CIAWI, Bogor, West Java: Minister for Research and Technology B.J. Habibie says Indonesia will intensify its use of biotechnology to develop the agribusiness industry.

"Agriculture has to be developed by applying biotechnology to spur the agribusiness industry as well as to improve farmers' standard of living," he said, while visiting a privately-owned horticulture and floriculture project here yesterday.

"We can live without airplanes or ships but not without proteins and carbohydrates from food crops such soybeans, carrots, tomatoes and peppers. And the horticulture and floriculture commodities have excellent prospects in the local and international market," he said.

The 10-hectare farming project in the mountainous resort applies biotechnology, with the help of experts from the Netherlands, to develop floricultural and horticultural commodities. Beside having 13 large green houses where the two commodities are developed, it has also set up its own research center and employed about 100 skilled workers.

Project manager Sigit said that the project, which had also been visited by President Soeharto in 1991, was running short of funds. He added that the project did not yet have enough money to develop the various kinds of plants that would help develop the agribusiness industry across the country.

He said that the farming project was working in cooperation with the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) and many state- owned companies under the Ministry of Finance to pioneer developing hydroponics in Indonesia.

Habibie, who also chairs the National Research Board (DRN) and the Agency for Research and Application of technology (BPPT), promised to help develop the project to help make it an exemplary project of horticulture and floriculture for the rest of the country. (rms)