Pangkalpinang (Antara Babel) - German investors are keen to develop rubber plantations in Bangka-Belitung (Babel) province, said Yan Megawandi, spokesperson for the local Investment Coordinating Board, on Friday.
German investors believe that there is a huge demand for rubber, which is why they are eager to develop rubber plantations in the province.
"The investors will study the districts of Bangka and Bangka Barat in detail," noted Megawandi.
He explained that German investors are interested in developing rubber plantations and building a rubber processing plant for semi-finished and finished products.
"If their plan to invest in these two districts materialises, it will certainly improve the quality of local rubber and reduce the unemployment rate," said Megawandi.
He added that there are a number of vacant plots which can be converted into productive land for the growth of the rubber industry.
"Farmers in Bangka, Bangka Barat, Bangka Tengah, Bangka Selatan, Belitung, Belitung Timur, and Pangkalpinang manage to produce 93 thousand tonnes of rubber products every year," he noted.
Megawandi pointed out that investments in rubber plantations and the rubber processing industry would raise the prices of the commodity in local markets and encourage rubber farmers to work even harder.
