By Imam Hanafi
Kotabaru, South Kalimantan (Antaranews) - Community-based oil palm plantations development in Kotabaru district constrained by lack of land.
Chairman of the Village Unit Cooperatives (KUD) Gajah Mada at subdistrict Kelumpang Hilir H Abdullah on Friday said the cooperative board actually had long wanted to develop oil palm plantations with plasma pattern.
"But the fact is, until now the plan can not be realized, because the land sought for development was minimal," he explained.
Abdullah admitted that he had several times negotiated with a third party for the purchase of land covering an area of over 1,000 hectares. But after being given a cash advance, the land found rocky and hard to be developed.
In fact there was some land to be purchased but it was part of forest, so the board thought it could not be continued because of fear it gave new problems in the future.
He expects to find an area which covers around 5000-7100 hectares, free from the forest or the status of other land uses (APL), for the development of oil palm.
KUD Gajah Mada has 5,199 members with total area of ??about 7,100 hectares located in three subdistricts, namely South kelumpang, Kelumpang Hilir and Kelumpang Hulu.
