Kediri Regent Hanindhito Himawan Pramana will develop the planting of superior agricultural commodities and integrated tourism by utilizing forest areas. The development of integrated agroforestry and tourism is a follow-up to the cooperation agreed between the Kediri Regency Government (Pemkab) and the State Forestry Public Company (Perum Perhutani) at the Kediri Regency Government Office, East Java (East Java), Tuesday (1/11/2022). Mas Dhito, as the Regent of Kediri is familiarly called, hopes that the agreement can expand the scope of development of superior agricultural commodities in Bumi Panjalu, as Kediri Regency is known. He said the land owned by Perum Perhutani could be used for planting many types of agricultural crops. "(The first plant) we will develop is coffee," said Mas Dhito in a press release received by Kompas.com, Wednesday (2/11/2022). Mas Dhito assessed that Perhutani has a very large area of land in Kediri Regency. Then, in Ngancar District, most of Perhutani's land has also been used for planting pineapple commodities. "Of the vast expanses of Perhutani land in Kediri Regency, the plot in Jugo Village, Mojo District, could be a pilot project," he said. For the initial stage, he said, Perhutani's 30 to 40 hectares (ha) of land in Jugo Village will be used for the development of coffee plants as well as integrated tourism activities.
The Kediri Perhutani Forest Management Unit (KPH) administrator, Rukman Supriyatna, said that the Kediri Regency Government was the first local government in East Java to cooperate with KPH in the use of forest land for agroforestry development. "So far, the cooperation agreement has only been in the tourism sector," said Rukman. Rukman continued, through the existing cooperation, his party hopes to increase the potential of non-timber forests so that they have an impact on improving the quality of the environment and the welfare of the community. "We hope that in Kediri Regency, superior coffee products will appear," he said. Rukman also hopes that the use of forest land for tourism can play a role in developing the tourism sector in Kediri Regency. To note, on this occasion, Perum Perhutani East Java Regional Division KPH Kediri handed over production sharing of wood and pine resin to 23 Forest Village Community Institutions (LMDH) of IDR 1.6 billion symbolically.
