The government is targeting to plant one million genjah (dwarf) coconut trees on unproductive lands, President Joko Widodo stated while reviewing the related development in Giriroto Village, Boyolali, Central Java, on Thursday.
“It (planting of dwarf coconut trees) is just getting started here. Later, in the provinces where the coconuts can grow well, we will plant them. The target is approximately one million genjah coconut trees,” the president explained.
He said that the government has provided 46 thousand seeds of genjah coconut for the Greater Solo and Boyolali areas, 44 thousand seeds for Karanganyar, and 110 thousand seeds for Sukoharjo.
According to a government website, genjah is one of the coconut varieties that bears fruits and blooms faster.
Widodo noted that the policy of increasing the plantation of genjah coconut is one of the government’s efforts to anticipate the situation globally that is being hit by a food crisis.
“More than three hundred million people are now (impacted by) acute food shortages and hunger. In some countries, it (food shortages) had started, and it is estimated that if there is no solution, it can impact 800 million people,” he explained.
The utilization of unproductive lands is an endeavor to anticipate the food crisis, Jokowi stated. People, for instance, can plant chilis in their respective house yards by using polybags.
“Hence, there would be no such thing as a shortage of chili or the price of chili having increased drastically,” he added.
Jokowi said that each genjah coconut tree can produce about 180 coconuts per year.
“They can be used to produce palm sugar, coconut oil, and its fruit be sold for fresh drinks,” the president noted.
Apart from Giriroto Village, Jokowi also reviewed the development pertaining to dwarf coconuts and their planting as well as intercropping plants, or polyculture, in Sanggang Village, Sukoharjo.
During his activities, the president was accompanied by Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo.
Source: Antara News