The Trend of Horticultural Park
At present Indonesia is in the process of developing urban agriculture program "Horticultural Park". This was stated by Director General of Horticulture Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Hasanuddin Ibrahim in the “Talkshow” on " Asri, Lestari, Sehat Sejahtera Bersama Hortikultura Indonesia” Asri, Sustainable, Healthy and Prosperous Together Horticulture Indonesia" which was held in the Agrinex 2011, in Jakarta Convention Center, 4 March 2011.
Horticultural Park is designed as an effort to supply of horticultural crops in Indonesia, as demand for such crops have increased. Further, Mr. Hasanuddin stated that the growth of fruit export in Indonesia’s trade balance was negative, i.e. minus around Rp 5 trillion, and for vegetables minus Rp 2.5 trillion, while Indonesia has huge potential for horticulture, he said.
Horticultural Park is a concept vegetables or fruits garden which utilizing of vacant lands in urban areas. In addition to educational value, Horticultural Park also can reduce the suppy is less and its location near the urban areas, and can reduce the problems in shipping costs.
One of the potential of horticultural crops that have not been touched is an ornamental plant. Although the ornamental plants has positive trade balance of about USD 30 million dollars. According to Karen Tambayong from National Horticulture Board, plenty opportunities have not been utilized optimally, even people do not aware that ornamental plants have prospective market. While agribusiness has created large opportunities of employment, but our banking system do not trust that floriculture is good business," he said.
In addition to ornamental plants, biopharmaca as horticultural products also provide a very good opportunity, it is proven that the medicinal plants which belong to horticultural crops provide Indonesia’s a positive balance for its trade balance of about USD 10 million U.S. dollars. Despite the fact that horticulture has been source of our Indonesia foreign exchange, but a lot of medicinal plants which are untapped for its potential that might stimulate our economic development. (Wied).
