Reserved forest uncultivated

Reserved forest uncultivated

SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: A 100-hectare fruit plantation in
Kutai village, Loleng, is facing imminent ruin only three years
after its dedication, a researcher said on Monday.

M. Seting of the Institute for Environmental and Human
Resources Development (Plasma) said after a seminar in the
provincial capital that local people were reluctant to cultivate
the plantation because of the government's top-down approach in
the project.

Seting said forest fires during the prolonged drought between
1997 and 1998 had destroyed half of some 600 fruit trees planted
shortly after a ceremony to mark the plantation's dedication in
1996.

Then state minister of food Ibrahim Hasan, then minister of
forestry Djamaluddin Suryohadikusumo and then Armed Forces chief
Gen. Feisal Tanjung dedicated the plantation, which was called a
food reserve forest.

The planting involved soldiers and local people, who were paid
with rice.

"After that, the people took no notice of whatever happened to
the project because they did not have an interest in it. Besides,
they were already growing fruit trees of their own," Seting said
as quoted by Antara.

He suggested that the government play a back-seat role and let
the people cultivate the plantation.