Waste land turns productive

Waste land turns productive

BANDA ACEH: Approximately 175,000 hectares of unproductive
farm land in the Aceh Besar and Piddie regencies will be turned
into timber estates to maintain forest conservation, Governor
Syamsuddin Mahmud said.

"The establishment of the two timber estates is meant to
rehabilitate unproductive land," Mahmud told the provincial
legislative meeting on Tuesday.

The estate and pulp industry project will be managed by
a joint-venture company, PT Indonusa Indrapuri, and is expected
to increase private investments in the province in a bid to
maintain the rate of the provincial economic growth at six to
seven percent per year within the sixth five-year term of the
development program (Pelita).

Mahmud said the timber project should be able to add a more
economic value to the land and provide revenue for the local
administration and social benefit to the nearby residents, Antara
reported. (kod)