Minister of Forestry Hands Over 560.57-Hectare Social Forestry Decree in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB)

Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni handed over the Social Forestry Decree covering 560.57 hectares in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). The social forestry programme is described as one of the measures to realise food self-sufficiency while safeguarding forest conservation.

‘Six certificates or SKs for social forestry: one SK in Lombok Barat (West Lombok) and five SKs in Lombok Timur (East Lombok), total 560.57 hectares,’ Raja Juli said in an interview after handing over the social forestry SK in Lombok Timur on Saturday, 7 March 2026.

Raja Juli noted that NTB still has significant potential for social forestry to be developed. He said he had been instructed by the President to accelerate the process of issuing SKs for social forestry in the region.

‘There is still a lot of potential in NTB, around 90,000 hectares more. Well, we have been instructed by Mr President Prabowo Subianto to speed up the SK issuance process,’ he said.

According to him, the social forestry programme plays an important role in boosting the economy of the local communities. In addition, social forestry is also seen as supporting the food self-sufficiency programme.

‘This social forestry can uplift the welfare of the people while also protecting our environment, making our forests more sustainable. Of course, also for the food self-sufficiency programme,’ he added.

Going forward, the Ministry of Forestry will continue to provide mentoring to the groups of forest farmers that have been formed. The mentoring will be conducted to ensure the social forestry management groups remain productive.

‘We provide access; after that, God willing, the centre will continue mentoring, so that the legal access granted can be more productive,’ Raja Juli added.