Ministry of Agriculture Helps North Buton to Develop Five Thousand Hectares of Organic Rice

INDUSTRY.co.id - North Buton - In addition to being known as a global producer of asphalt, Buton Island has great agricultural potential. Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman encourages Buton Utara District to focus on the development of organic rice.

"Buton Utara has a regional advantage in developing organic rice, and we are encouraging to increase production to a thousand percent, from only 5 hundred hectares to 5 thousand," said Amran when inaugurating the Organic Rice Milling Unit (RMU) facility in Dampala Jaya Village, Kalisusu, North Buton Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, on Thursday (26/07/2018).

In front of thousands of farmers who attended, Amran expressed support for the development of North Buton into an organic district, Ministry of Agriculture priority assistance was directed to it. Amran said he would provide seed assistance for the development of 5,000 hectares of organic rice, along with its organic fertilizer.

Not only the seeds, Amran also provide agricultural machinery tools (alsintan) began for the processing of land, to harvest and processing. Amran said the assistance is comprehensive from upstream to downstream in order to be effective in supporting the development of organic rice. Among these machines are large excavators costing 2 to 3 billion. "At least two weeks later," Amran commanded.

In addition, additional large tractor assistance to a total of 8 units, additional hand tractor to a total of 26 units, also combine harvester as many as 5 units.
"Please Pak Kadis form brigade alsintan, so it can continue to be used for the people, not to be kept and not productive," said Amran.

The graduate of the Hasanuddin University faculty of agriculture hopes to increase aid if the assistance provided successfully increases the productivity of organic rice in North Buton. Looking ahead, this productivity is also projected to improve the welfare of the community.

"The price of organic rice if it is packed well enough like this and exported can be about 100 thousand. This can lift the welfare of farmers, we help from the center," said Amran.

For information, since 2017, the Government of North Buton Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, declared itself as a district of organic farming. This has been set forth in the regent’s regulation, until the priority of the budget of the APBD. There are 10 varieties of rice plants of organic red rice in this area, including red rice and black rice.

Culturally, the people of Buton Utara have always used organic systems. That is, more facilitate to socialize and educate the community related to the declaration.