LIPI Cultivating 14 Red Fruit Species In Wamena, Papua

WAMENA, Papua, May 17 (Antara) - The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) is cultivating 14 species of red fruit plants (Pandanus conoideus) in Jayawijaya District, Papua Province. "We are planting 14 species of red fruit," Soekarno, an operator of LIPI's Biological Botanica Garden in Wamena, said here, Tuesday. The land provided for the red fruit plantation covers two hectares (ha) and will involve the local people, he revealed. "The red fruit planting is also being done in Kurulu District. Not just red fruit, we are also encouraging people to grow coffee and strawberries," he stressed. The total area of land in the Botanical Gardens for the preservation in Papua covers about 165ha, but only half has been planted so far. "The land we are managing now is only for a thematic garden. There are 13 plots in it, one of which is for red fruit plants," he remarked. Red fruit is believed to cure cancer, tumor, HIV/AIDS and uric acid.