Antara 9 May 18;
Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) launched an oil palm replanting program in Rokan Hilir district, Riau, marking the start of the program in the Sumatran province, covering 25,423 hectares for this year.
Thousands of people welcomed the arrival of the President on Wednesday and entourage with warm greeting and many of them sought an opportunity to shake hands with him.
His arrival at the village of Kepenghuluan Pelita, Bakan Sinembah, marked the start of the replanting program in eight districts in the province.
The same program was earlier launched in Musi Banyuasin, South Sumatra, on October 13, 2017 and Serdang Bedagai in North Sumatra on November 27, 2017 and so Riau becomes the third province undergoing the program.
A total of 25,423 hectares of people`s plantations will be refurbished spreading in eight districts - Rokan Hulu, Rokan Hilir, Kampar, Siak, Pelalawan, Kuantan Sengingi, Indragiri Hulu and Bengkalis.
The president said the program was urgent as most oil palm plantations out of a total of 1,58 million hectares in the province have been very old.
He said the government conducted the program so that the production of the people`s plantations would be more productive to increase twice or three times per hectare.
Reported by Angi Romadhoni
(H-YH/a014)
(T.SYS/B/KR-BSR/A014)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
