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UGM completes new, ethical garden
Gadjah Mada University (UGM) has announced the completion of its five hectare herbal garden, located in Girirejo forest, Bantul
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Gadjah Mada University (UGM) has announced the completion of its five hectare herbal garden, located in Girirejo forest, Bantul.
The garden has been named Gama Herbal Garden and has been built as part of UGM's commitment to the use of herbs for medical purposes and nature conservation.
"It contains many herbal medicines like long pepper, longevity spinach, Californian papaya, rodent tuber, noni or mengkudu and jambu biji getas merah [brittle red guava]," garden operator Endhy said.
He added that crops from the garden would later be used as raw materials for small traditional medicine businesses owned by UGM.
UGM deputy rector on research and community service Suratman said besides natural conservation purposes, the garden was also used to empower around 200 local farmers in the area.
"We're encouraging local farmers to develop herbal medicines that have high economic value. So far they've only developed cassava, which has low economic value," he said.
He said the garden used to be a piece of unproductive land, but that cooperation between local residents and UGM had made the land productive. (hrl/dic)
