Ministry of Agriculture Optimizes Swamp Land Through Agricultural Mechanism

INDUSTRY.co.id - Palembang - Director General of Agricultural Infrastructure and Facilities at the Ministry of Agriculture, Pending Dadih Permana said that the potential of swamp land in South Sumatra is quite large, about 240 thousand hectares of 483 thousand hectares including tidal land in it. Besides, there is still dry land area of ​​772 thousand hectares.

"To optimize the land, take advantage of the existing mechanization, but there are still untapped machines available in the field," said Pending during the Joint Evaluation Meeting of UPSUS Evaluation 2017 and Preparation for Activity 2018 in Palembang, Wednesday (13/12/17).

According to him, the land is a potential that should not be allowed. Moreover, Indonesia is pursuing the ideals to Indonesia 2045 as World Food Lumbung.

"For that, need to work together, in optimizing the land productive less productive, actualize that potential is highly dependent on human resources both in the bureaucracy that program or farmers groups on the location of the area that we will try planting," he said.

Furthermore, Pending explained that from the data of Kementan area of ​​swamp land, tidal and dry land reached 33 million hectare, consisting of 20 million hectares of tidal and dry land, 13 million hectares of swamp land.

"For the utilization, farmers have to wait for 6 months because they have to wait for the water to recede first, on the one hand the farmers are limited to the cultivation of plants, and on the other hand they face the condition of nature like this.Therefore need seriousness of all parties in tidal land handling this," continued Pending.

Pending asks the person in charge of the activity to keep the program instruments under guard. The Food Crops Department needs to know the development of the crops in the field. And also, the person in charge of the district's activities to routinely report the field data on time, no later than the 25th of each month. All investments in the implemented program are recorded in the financial statements.

Related to the UPSUS program, the standing crop standing position in September is 233 thousand hectares, in October of 52 thousand hectares and November 62, 62 thousand hectares, from this month until January 2018 will be harvest. Pending optimism of the providers in the target area will increase.

To that end, he hoped that the Head of Department assigned agricultural extension workers to do tiling on each harvest. "Do the tiling correctly, use the tile rules and then report it to the agricultural service," he explained.

He suggested ensuring the activities to continue, so the crops are resumed.