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ANT/Singapore firm to invest in Bengkulu jatropa plantation
In the first stage the Singapore investor would open a 1,000-hectare plantation at Pino Raya in South Bengkulu district at a cost of Rp35 billion, Head of the Bengkulu Provincial Plantation Office Risman Sipayung said on Saturday.
Sipayung said the Singapore investor through PT Jatropa also planned to build a jatropa curcas mill to accommodate production from the local people.
The mill would be built next year when the 1,000-hectare jatropa carcus plantation started production. The company would later sell jatropa curcas oil to outside Bengkulu, he said.
He said the company had secured a licence from the local authorities to open the 1,000-hectare jatropa curcas plantation which is part of its plan to develop 10,000-hectare plantation in South Bengkulu.
He said the company would buy unhusked jatropa curcas from local farmers for Rp1,000 a kg and husked jatropa curcas for Rp2,000 a kg.
Jatropa curcas was for the first time developed in nine districts in the province in 2007 using Rp7.1 billion in regional budget funds. The nine districts include South Bengkulu, Seluma, Kaur Rejang Lebong and Kepahiang and Bengkulu city.(S012/B003)
