South Kalimantan to declare "City of a Million Coffees"

Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan (ANTARA) - South Kalimantan Indonesian Farmers Union (SPI) and the City Government of Banjarbaru will launch the planting of a million coffee seedlings in the city in July.

Chairman of the South Kalimantan Management Board of Indonesian Farmers Union (DPW-SPI) Dwi Putra Kurniawan said this is part of a City of Million Coffee program.

“Banjarbaru City Government has discussed the program, and we hope the local government to finance all of the one million coffee seeds,” he said in Banjarbaru, Saturday.

Dwi said that the planting of a million coffee seedlings is according to President Joko Widodo's direction to the regional heads that each region has specific advantage.

“The advantage of our region is coffee, so we should strive to make our region known to foreign countries, one of which is through the City of a Million Coffee program,” he pointed out.

Dwi said that various parties paid attention to the program, one of which was Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP).

Head of Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) of South Kalimantan Rudy M Harahap once suggested that the regional budgets be used for the benefit of community as support to the central government's program to realize the green city program through the local advantage.

Meanwhile, Dwi said that Asian, African, and European countries have a high interest in local Borneo coffee typical of South Kalimantan.

“Counties such as Qatar, Egypt and European countries are interested in Borneo coffee typical of South Kalimantan, and have even asked for shipments of up to 200 tons,” he said here on Saturday, May 27, 2023.

The ground breaking for the declaration of the "City of a Million Coffee" is planned for July 5 in South Banjarbaru, Banjarbaru City.

After the ground breaking, he said, a million coffee seedling will be planted in stages depending on their availability.

Dwi hopes that the program not only focus on realizing green city, but more than that is to improve the economy of the people of South Kalimantan, especially in Banjarbaru City.