PALEMBANG TO BUILD ORCHARD IN 2011

Palembang, S Sumatra (ANTARA) - The Palembang administration will build a 15-20 hectare orchard in Gandus sub-district, South Sumatra Province.

The Head of the Palembang Forestry, Fisheries and Agriculture Affairs Agency, Sudirman Tegoeh, said here on Monday that the construction of the orchard will be stared next year.

The orchard will be an alternative tourism site to attract more tourists to Palembang.

According to him, in the initial phase the orchard would have trees bearing kinds of fruits available in the Palembang market.

Kelengkeng, mango, and orange trees were some of those to be grown under the project, he said.

The authority would also make a preservation program of rare and almost extinct fruits such as, mangosteen and rukam (Flacourtia rukam), he added.

The fund for the project would be allocated from the regional budget in 2011 and the construction expecting to be started the middle of next year, he said.

There would be a lot of benefits from the orchard, he said, adding that it could limit fruit imports, preserve the rare fruits, and improve the locals' welfare.