Transmigration program to cultivate idle lands

Transmigration program to cultivate idle lands

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia hopes to increase its agricultural
production by using thousands of hectares of fallow land in
various transmigration sites soon.

Minister of Transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo told journalists
after meeting with President Soeharto here yesterday that the
ministry has received additional funding for the 1995/96 period
to help enlarge cultivation areas throughout the country.

The expansion will be done by participants of the
transmigration program who will open up and till 30,000 hectares
of idle land in 16 provinces this year.

The largest area is in Lampung with 9,000 hectares, followed
by South Sumatra with 5,500 hectares and Irian Jaya with 3,000
hectares.

Siswono did not disclose what additional funds have been
allocated to the program.

Siswono said the President has told him to "give appropriate
attention to projects of expansion of land for food crops through
the transmigration program".

Siswono said if the project continues successfully it may
solve the problem of fallow lands throughout the country.

"This is not just a matter for Indonesia, but a problem for
the world future which will inevitably face shortages in food
supply in the future," he said. "We have the potential to make up
that food shortage."

There are an estimated 600,000 hectares of fallow land in
Indonesia. Farmers often find it difficult to develop some areas
because their make-up often requires particular cultivation
techniques.

Farmers have to treat each hectare of land in areas of high
acidity with up to two tons of lime, for example.

As a way to help farmers in difficult terrain, the government
has launched a program to provide farmers with seeds, fertilizer
and funding to cultivate their land.

Siswono also reported to Soeharto yesterday the preparations
for a three-day international seminar on Population Resettlement
for Poverty Alleviation. Soeharto will open it on Monday at the
Sahid Jaya Hotel.

Siswono said that the seminar will be attended by ministers
from 14 participating countries, including Brazil, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia and Bangladesh.

Presentations will also be given by experts from the United
States, Japan and the Netherlands.

Siswono said that one of the main objectives of the seminar is
to educate the international community about the positive impact
of the transmigration program.

He explained that there have been misperceptions about
resettlement programs. Critics alleged, for instance, that the
programs wiped out indigenous cultures or destroyed the natural
wildlife in some places such as Irian Jaya and Kalimantan.

To counteract these misperceptions, Siswono said participants
would also be taken to inspect the transmigration settlements in
West Kalimantan so they can judge for themselves the
accomplishments of the program. (mds)