The fruit tree research department of the agricultural research, marketing and processing directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (LVV) has trained 20 of its employees and 3 growers in making compost by LVV expert, Soesila Ramautar.

This project is part of the international development bank (idb) project strengthening of citrus production with the aim of increasing production as a requirement to do the work more effectively and efficiently, but also to broaden knowledge.

Composting is an accelerated and controlled process in which plant remains or waste (organic material) is broken down for processing with compost as the end product. This can be used in plant nurseries, in the field when planting, as weed control and as water management. The whole process can take about 3 months. The advantages of composting include the improvement of soil fertility, the physical characteristics of the soil, the promotion of biological soil life, the reduction of absorbed contaminants (heavy metals) and the suppression of pathogens in the soil.