Village Leaders of Balai District of Sanggau, West Kalimantan Learn how to Cultivate Rice and Rubber at IPB

The village authorities and village councils (BPD) of Balai District, Sanggau Regency of West Kalimantan, paid a working visit to the IPB, on Saturday,  8 June 2012. The delegates were officially accepted by Deputy Chief LPPM IPB for Community Service, Dr Prastowo, in meeting room of  Rector Rector, at the  Andi Hakim Nasoetion Building,  Darmaga Campus, Bogor.
 
The group leader who is also the Head of Balai District, Drs Francis Marinus, MM., says that  they know IPB as the institution that produce experts in agriculture, accordingly, they visit IPB to see and learn from the first hand information what’s going on at IPB.
 
"In our region we still have vast areas of  rice fields and  the rubber as well.  We expect that we could maintain and develop those two natural potentials we have, as we understand that natural degradation process always  threat us, "said Francis who echoed by the mayority of the delegates.

Tit for tat. On this special occasion the experts on rice and rubber of the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture IPB, were there to share their experiences. They were Dr Ade Wachjar, Dr Supijatno, and Dr Sugiyanta.
 
Meanwhile, Dr Prastowo stated the four basic principles of community service programs as follows: (1). Innovation-based activites; (2). Local-based superiority; (3). Sustainablity; (4). Developing replicable model.  "In the future when the Balai communities need the servises of the University’ expertises, we will happy to be your services," he said. The next itinerary of the program was field visit to Cikabayan rubber plantations and Organic Rice farming of Kampung Baru. (Wied).