President calls on farmers to do more

MARTAPURA, South Kalimantan: President Abdurrahman Wahid, during a one-day visit here on Friday, called on farmers to produce not only rice but other agricultural commodities as well.

"We should produce not only rice but also other agricultural products, particularly those which are in great demand abroad," the President said in a dialogue after performing Friday prayers.

Noting that a number of ASEAN countries such as Vietnam and Thailand were gearing up to raise their rice production, he said Indonesian farmers should develop alternative agricultural commodities which also had high foreign-exchange earning potential. (mds)