"The required amount for basic infrastructure building for the Papua food estates has already been provided for in the 2011 State Budget," Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa said here Monday.
The basic infrastructure for the food estates comprised such things as water supply facilities and roads laid out in clusters, he said.
After the basic infrastructure building was completed, the next step was inviting agricultural investors.
Activities at the food estates would be focused on cultivation of sugar cane, soybean, and rice, and supplemented with agro-industries.
Hatta said at present some 570,000 hectares of land were already available as the sites of the food estates. None of the land was forested.
There would be three food estate clusters in Papua, namely in Merauke,, Timika and Membramo. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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