Indonesian president promotes modern shrimp farming to boost exports

JAKARTA, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is pushing the expansion of modern shrimp farming to increase fisheries exports and generate foreign exchange earnings through technology-based aquaculture development across the country.

During a visit on Saturday to an area-based shrimp farming facility in Kebumen, Central Java, Prabowo reviewed harvesting and sorting operations at the approximately 100-hectare site, which adopts an integrated modern farming system.

"This is very good and highly productive, and currently employs 650 local workers," Prabowo said, adding that one hectare of shrimp ponds can produce up to 40 tons of high-value shrimp.

According to the government, the Kebumen facility, comprising 206 ponds, has the capacity to generate around 67.2 billion rupiah (about 3.8 million U.S. dollars) in production value per cycle, with annual output potentially reaching 134.4 billion rupiah (about 7.6 million dollars).

Prabowo said the government is also developing a similar 2,000-hectare shrimp farming project in Waingapu, East Sumba, as part of efforts to strengthen food security, create jobs and enhance the competitiveness of Indonesia's fisheries exports. Enditem