"Currently, around 30 million hectares out of Indonesia`s total forest area of 136.89 million hectares are degraded," Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said in a paper read out by the ministry`s research and development director Tachrir Fathoni at a seminar on seed sources development here Thursday.
The trees will be planted in degraded forests, plantations, ex-mining areas, and damaged river basin areas throughout the country.
"This year, the forestry ministry will rehabilitate forests and river basin areas covering 500,000 hectares. The development of industrial and community forests will cover 500,000 hectares," he said.
There will also be another 500,000 hectares for public and rural forests, and 50,000 hectares for the partnership people forests.
For that purpose, the forestry ministry will develop around 10,000 community nursery gardens in 424 districts/cities.
The number equals to 500 million seedlings in 2011, and there will be 23 permanent nursery units in 22 provinces with a target of producing 35 million seedlings annually," he explained.
Yogyakarta, according to him, is potential to become a seed/seedling center for commercial plants such as Eucalyptus, breadfruit, teak, and sengon (Paraserianthes falcataria).
Other regions are also encouraged to set up seed/seedling centers for endemic plants.(*)
(f001/HAJM/f001)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
