"So, why can`t we meet China`s high demand for tropical fruits?"Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s State Enterprise Minister, Dahlan Iskan, is keen on carrying out an orange revolution, from 2013, by planting three kinds of fruit-bearing trees, namely, mango, mangosteen and durian.
The orange revolution is expected to produce a lot of tropical fruits, mainly mangosteens and durians, which could be exported to China, said the minister, on Tuesday.
"The idea emerged from the fact that we have been flooded by Chinese fruits so far. So, why can`t we meet China`s high demand for tropical fruits?" he added.
Indonesia imports oranges from China and there is a demand for tropical Indonesian fruits, like mangosteens, in China, he said.
"Till date, China gets tropical fruits from Bangkok (Thailand), the Philippines and Vietnam, which are not tropical countries, but sub-tropical," he stated.
PT Perkebunan Nusantara VIII, a state-owned plantation company, will plant tropical fruit-bearing trees, such as durian and mangosteen, in October 2013, he said.
The plantation company has prepared a plot of land to grow mangosteen and durian trees (1,000 hectares each) in West Java. The Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) will provide the seedlings.
Before planting the durian and mangosteen trees, the plantation company will plant papaya and banana trees on a 3,000 hectare land, in February 2013.
The area used to be a tea plantation, which is no longer productive.
The orange revolution will be carried out in Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Bengkulu, Jambi, Riau, South Sumatra, Lampung, West Java, East Java and Central Java.
The orange revolution will be conducted by the state enterprise ministry and the Bogor Institute of Agriculture.
(Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR/B003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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