West Kalimantan accelerate the additional dry land farming program
Minggu, 13 Mei 2018 14:35 WIB
Pontianak (Antaranews Kalbar) - West Kalimantan Province will encourage the additional rice dry land farming areas in production centers such as Mempawah district.
"For the example at Parit Tok Adam, Wajok Hilir Village, Mempawah district which will be expand from 600 hectares to 15 thousand until 20 thousand hectares," said Heronimus Hero as the Chief of West Kalimantan Agriculture of Food Crops and Horticulture office, on Friday.
The acceleration process was conducted on Thursday, May 10th which was also attended by the fellow of the Ministry of Agriculture, Military district commander, and other related parties.
According to Heronimus Hero, the presence of Ministry of Agriculture fellow, Human Resources Development Agency and research teams was a form of their attention for West Kalimantan, especially Mempawah District.
He added one of efforts for avoiding food crisis is West Kalimantan farmers can follow-up the agricultural program either from the ministry, provincial government and district government.
However, if the farmers or farmer groups does not follow-up central government’s attention it will not affect anything.
"So the key remains to the farmers, therefore I would like to express my great gratitude to farmers. The point is without farmers there is also no Additional rice dry land farming areas activity," he said.
Heronimus explains, in 2017 Mempawah district has ever achieved approximately 70 thousand tons of rice production achievement. While the public consumption is around 29 thousand tons. "So in the form of rice there is still a surplus around 26 thousand tons, and I really appreciate the success of rice production in Mempawah," he said.
Heronimus admitted not all district in West Kalimantan are capable in producing excess rice. Only few area which success in the production such as Mempawah, Landak, Sambas, Sanggau and Bengkayang.
"Those areas are totally contributing in the increased of rice production and surplus in West Kalimantan," he said.
He says the success effort is necessary because the potential in Mempawah districts actually quite large. Although the land is reduce due the regional expansion into Mempawah district, Landak district and Kubu Raya district.
"However Mempawah potentially has more than 18 thousand hectares of rice fields although it has not recalculated yet. There are also 15 hectares of additional land for new plants as said before which may be converted of food crops that means it can be 33 thousand hectares of lands," Heronimus said.
He assumes that if the land can be planted twice then the result can reach 66 thousand hectares. "If in one hectare can produce 3.2 tons then it can reach hundreds of thousands tons of rice. The available land can be use as good as possible," he said.
Meanwhile Ismail as the regional secretariat functionary of Mempawah district said Mempawah district currently is a rice surplus area based on the existing statistical data.
It is not possible for the surplus to occur without the strength or zeal of farmers and accompaniments of agricultural officers and the intervention programs both from central government and provincial governments.
"Therefore we hope for never get bored in giving encouragement and help to our farmers. If there is a program for Mempawah district, it can send to our Chief of agriculture office. We are ready to implement it. We are ready for 20 thousand hectares let alone 15 thousand hectares," Ismail said. (Von)