Agricultural extension workers encouraged to develop rural farming

    Pontianak (Antaranews Kalbar) -  Heronimus Hero, Chief of the West Kalimantan Agriculture of Food Crops and Horticulture Office encourages agricultural extension workers to invite society especially in rural areas to develop their respective agriculture potential.
    "Currently what happens is most of the vegetables supplies in West Kalimantan areas produced by farmers from urban areas," said Heronimus Hero in Pontianak, on Thursday.
    Pontianak and Singkawang are two cities which supplying vegetables quite abundantly in West Kalimantan.
    According to him, it becomes a challenge for Agriculture Office especially the field extension workers in order to encourage the society especially the farmers to develop agriculture in their respective regions.
    "Because city has fewer land in terms of its potential, but strangely city becomes the vegetables supplier. It is also an agriculture product and actually can done by districts. However the question is why they do not want to do it," he said.
    He was sure the vegetable farming or agriculture commodity development generally can done in districts with the encouragement of extension workers in the field.
    "We hope these extension workers can encourage the interest of the society, especially the farmers to develop agriculture products, because this is very profitable and prospering for themselves," he said.
    He exemplifies that vegetable farmers in Pontianak was able to reap the turnover from Rp20 million until Rp64 million once the harvest.
    "The vegetable harvest only takes 40 days. So they can plant nine times a year. Supposing that Rp 20 million then multiply it by nine time harvest," he said.
    Chief of West Kalimantan Agriculture Office remind for all the agricultural extension workers can go to the field. In addition these extension workers can give examples of planting vegetables or secondary crops products on available land in each extension office.
    "Usually people have not done an attempt is because of there is no attraction on it. I hope from the example of these extension workers can be an attraction for farmers to plant vegetable as their family main income which can bring profits and prosperity for themselves," he said.

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