"A delegation from Liechtenstein, Germany, will soon survey the location for rubber plantations in the districts of Bangka and Bangka Barat because of the potential for the commodity to be developed in the province," Zakaria said.
He noted that at a recent meeting between a Babel delegation and German investors in Liechtenstein, they expressed their interest in investing in the development of rubber plantations and the rubber processing industry in Babel Province, especially in the Bangka and Bangka Barat districts.
"If their plan to invest in these two districts materializes, it will certainly improve the quality of local rubber as well as reduce the number of the unemployed," Zakaria noted.
He added that the potential of rubber plantation development and the rubber processing industry was promising as there are a lot of vacant plots that can be turned into productive land.
"Rubber products of the farmers in the districts of Bangka, Bangka Barat, Bangka Tengah, Bangka Selatan, Belitung, Belitung Timur, and the city of Pangkalpinang reaches 93,000 tons per year," he said.
Zakaria pointed out that the presence of German investors in the rubber plantations and the rubber processing industry would raise the prices of the commodity in the local markets and encourage rubber farmers to work even harder.
(Uu.O001/KR-BSR/INE)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
