Ravalomanana feels at home in Bogor

Ravalomanana feels at home in Bogor

Madagascar President Marc Ravalomanana holds a
child in Situgede village, Bogor, West Java.

The president, who held a direct dialog with local villagers
and observed farmers hard at work, expressed his happiness upon
seeing the rice fields, which he said looked very fertile.

"I feel as if I am in my own country," said Ravalomanana, who
came to Indonesia for the two-day Asian-African Summit that ended
on Saturday.

The president visited the village to study how local villagers
farm, particularly their use of organic fertilizers.

He said 80 percent of Madagascar people are farmers but their
output remains low.

Bogor Mayor Diani Budiarto, meanwhile, conveyed local people's
surprise at the president's visit.

"The president came to see the way Situgede villagers farm as
they harvest their crops twice a year, while he said that
Madagascar people only harvest crops once a year," he said.

He said the president was also interested in the cultivation
of cassava and sweet potato plants as well as visiting cattle
farms. -- JP