Chinese investors to open 1,000 ha of rice fields in Mamuju

Antara | 26 April 2010

Chinese investors planned to open 1,000 hectares of rice fields in Tommo subdistrict, Mamuju regency, West Sulawesi province this year.

Secretary of the Mamuju agriculture and animal husbandry agency Muhammad Johar said here Monday Chinese investors were keenly interested in opening 1,000 ha of rice fields in Tommo subdistrict as they saw the agricultural prospects in the area are bright.

He said the Chinese investors the rice fields will be developed under the plasm system by building a company and using the local farmers.

"China will be developing plasm-based rice fields by building a mutually beneficial partnership between the company and the farmers," he said.

He said the Chinese investors were also interested in investment in Tommo subdistrict also because the Tommo dam under construction will irrigate 17 thousand hectares of paddy fields.

He said the dam will cost Rp47 billion from this year's state budget, and an Singapore investor is also ready to funding the construction of the dam.

(KR-MFH) April 27, 2010