Prabowo pushes social forestry to boost local welfare: minister
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said President Prabowo Subianto is pushing social forestry implementation to grant communities legal access to manage forest resources while improving their welfare.
Under the social forestry initiative, the government opens opportunities for communities around the forest to apply for forest management rights, allowing them to cultivate the forest with environmentally friendly practices.
"President Prabowo Subianto has the political will to provide access to the public through the social forestry scheme. Now, the challenge is how to maximize the access that has already been granted," he said in a statement received in Jakarta on Saturday.
He explained that one way to utilize this access is through the large-scale cultivation of high-value commodities, selecting crops suited to the specific characteristics and conditions of the soil.
"The utilization will be tailored to soil suitability for mass planting, such as durian, or other commodities like nutmeg and avocado. This will certainly improve people's welfare," Antoni said.
He added that productive management of social forestry is expected to create a multiplier effect, boosting the economy of local communities while supporting the national food security program.
"It is the president's goal that the state not only grants land access, but also ensures the land is managed productively," he said.
As part of the push, the minister has handed over five new Social Forestry Decrees (SK) in Central Sulawesi, covering a total area of 3,238 hectares (ha) and benefiting 309 households.
"With this addition, the total social forestry area in Central Sulawesi has now reached 163,000 hectares, which is actually a very good figure," he said.
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Translator: Arnidhya Nur, Raka Adji
Editor: Primayanti
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