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)