Mentawir Nursery Almost Ready for Greening IKN Nusantara

Kalimantan – The Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) inspected the Mentawir Nursery in East Kalimantan on Thursday, and it almost completes and to be ready for greening the new capital city of Indonesia, known as IKN Nusantara. 

"Mentawir Nursery is almost 100 percent ready, and only needs some finishing touches. It will help in the greening efforts in IKN and its surrounding areas," the Head of State said in North Penajam Paser, East Kalimantan, on Thursday. 

According to President Widodo, the plant seeds from the nursery are prepared to be planted at IKN Nusantara to help in restoring the forests around IKN, so as to facilitate in returning the new capital and its surroundings to tropical rainforests.

"The planting regulation and location will be arranged by the Environment and Forestry (LHK) Ministry and the IKN Authority (OIKN)," the President said. 

"They will be responsible to return the beauty of IKN after being developed and also return the forests in surrounding areas to becoming tropical rainforests and not homogeneous forests,"

Moreover, the Head of State explained that the Mentawir Nursery reflected the government's commitment to improving the environment.

"Essentially, we want to improve the environment, and rehabilitate forests, such as natural forests, damaged forests, and damaged rainforests. We also plan to work on mangrove forests that need rehabilitation," President Widodo expressed. 

Mentawir Nursery is able to produce 15 million plant seeds ready for use, the President continued. 

"This is basic. If people want to plant, they do not have a nursery, they do not have seeds, so then where do they get them from? This shows our strong commitment that we really want to improve, and we really want to rehabilitate (the environment)," the Head of State remarked. 

President Widodo said that several plant seeds from the Mentawir Nursery were tabebuia and pucuk merah (Syzygium myrtifolium) for increasing the aesthetic appeal of the environment as well as seeds for sengon (Albizia chinensis), ironwood, shorea, and others.