Agricultural Articles

Ministry of Agriculture Holds the First Paddy Planting in Central Kalimantan, Efforts to Accelerate the Optimization of Swamp Land

21 May 2024

Pulang Pisang - The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) is swiftly accelerating the handling of food emergencies with several programs and activities in all regions to increase food production, especially for domestic rice.

One of the activities is by conducting a Land Optimization (or known as OPLA) Program by planting paddy on swamp land in Pulang Pisang Regency, Central Kalimantan Province.

The Director General of Plantations, Andi Nur Alam Syah, as the Responsible Officer for Food Emergency Management in Central Kalimantan Province, together with the Vice Governor of Central Kalimantan, Edy Pratowo, the Regional Leadership Communication Forum (or known as Forkompimda) of Pulang Pisang Regency and the farmers' groups, symbolically performed the first planting of paddy at the location of the Swamp Land Optimization Activity in Sanggang Village, Pandih Batu District, Pulang Pisang Regency. This village has 10 farmer groups with a land area of 661 hectares with an average productivity of 3.3 tons/hectare.

"This swampland optimization activity is carried out to increase the planting index by using adaptive new high-quality variety of rice, combined with agricultural mechanization for swamps."

"The goal is to increase the planting index from 1 time becomes 2 or 3 times a year," said Andi Nur Alam at the activity in Sanggang Village, Pandih Batu Subdistrict, Pulang Pisang Regency, Wednesday (3/4/2024).

Andi said the first planting event was carried out on 1 hectare of land that belong to the Sumber Rejeki Farmer Group, and followed by planting by other farmer group members. The paddy planting in the first planting location uses a transplanting system which uses the Inpari-32 variety.

"From the 81,088 hectares of land optimization target in Central Kalimantan that was assigned by the Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman to us, the Directorate General of Plantations, for the target of land optimization in Pulang Pisang Regency is 21,453 hectares.”

"We are optimistic that we can make it happen by collaborating with the Army, the regional governments and all parties, so that there will be an increase in rice production in Central Kalimantan," he said.

Andi emphasized that to accelerate the implementation of this land optimization activity, the Ministry of Agriculture is collaborating with the Army.

"With this passion and hard work as well as collaboration, it is certain that we can achieve the target area that has been decided to increase rice production and productivity, so as to maintain national food security."

"On this occasion, I would like to express my deepest gratitude for the support of the Vice Governor, the Army Commander Officers, the Head of Departement of Agriculture at Provincial, the Head of the Food Crops, Horticulture and Livestock Department of Central Kalimantan Province, and all the Heads of Department of Agriculture at Regency or City who helped to succeed the OPLA and Pumping Program," he said.

On the same occasion, there was a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Rice Milling Unit (RMU) and Rice to Rice (RtR) in Pantik Village, Pandih Batu District, Pulang Pisang Regency. The area used for the RMU-RTR construction is 3.6 ha.

"We warmly welcome the construction of this RMU-RTR, and we hope that with the construction of the RMU-RTR it can produce premium rice in Pulang Pisang Regency, and in turn can increase the income and welfare of the farmers in Pulang Pisang Regency," Andi said.

Meanwhile, the Vice Governor of Central Kalimantan, Edy Pratowo, said that to support the programs initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Central Kalimantan Provincial Government expressed its gratitude and appreciation for the national government's support for the Swampland Optimization and Pumping activities.

"Hopefully, this activity can increase the supply of rice in the communities of the Central Kalimantan region and support the demands of the surrounding regions," he explained.
In the same place, the Military Provincial Commander of 102 Panju Panjung, Iwan Rosandrianto, said that the Army is ready to support Land Optimization activities. It is hoped that the implementation of this land optimization construction activity is based on the SID that has been received.

"With the enthusiasm that was conveyed by the Director General, we are more confident that the physical construction activities of this swamp land optimization can be completed according to the target," Iwan said.

The first paddy planting of the Swamp Land Optimization activity was attended by the Regional Leadership Communication Forum (or known as Forkompimda) of Central Kalimantan Province, the Acting Regent of Pulang Pisang Regency, Caretaker Director of Plantation Seeds, Director of Seasonal and Annual Crops, Caretaker Head of Center for Seeding and Protection of Plantation Crops (CSPPC) in Surabaya of the Ministry of Agriculture, Chairman of the Regional House of Representatives, Military Provincial Commander of 102/Panju Panjang, Military District Commander of 1011/Kuala Kapuas, the Head of the Food Crops, Horticulture and Livestock Department of Central Kalimantan Province, Head of the Agriculture Department of Pulang Pisang Regency, and farmer groups who have received the aids.

(Red/*)
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