Agricom.id, ACEH BESAR - Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) did paddy harvest in the 8 thousand hectare area - free area cultivation program in Gampong Tumbo, Sub district of Kuta Malaka, District of Aceh Besar. It is one food barn area of paddy covering about 29.000 hectares within the productivity about 7,2 tons/hectare (ha).
In his speech, SYL specially thanked the field counselors. “The field counselors are the special forces in ministry of agriculture. As Minister of Agriculture, I thank you all,” he said, as in the official statement to Agricom.id.
In the tough situation whole over the world, every sector gets weaker. He believed that Indonesia could survive through the agriculture. The agricultural exports keep increasing. This is the sign that the sector that would be open in the future is the agriculture.
“Aceh has the good potential because the weather is good, the soil is too. These are the modals to make Aceh as the food barn and welfare the people,” he said.
Regent of Aceh Besar, Mawardi told that the regional government has done the maximal to produce food in the district for having 15 irrigations. The agriculture agency and the Army did cultivate the land freely and the harvest takes place covering 5 thousand hectares within the productivity about 7,2 tons per hectare.
"Alhamdulilah, we hit the targets. But the agricultural issue in Aceh is the production is always taken to Medan, North Sumatera. After being packed, it is re-sold in Aceh. It happens because we have limits in agricultural tools and rice milling unit (RMU)," he mentioned.
The Governor in duty of Aceh Province, Nova Iriansyah who joined the event said that the agriculture is the main sector in the province. Paddy, corn, fish, vegetables are developed in the yards. This year, Aceh targets to get the paddy production up to 12 million tons of milled dry grain.
“It happens for the climate is good in 2020. Some regions market their production to other provinces,” he said by hoping that the food security in Aceh would be realized by the help of agricultural tools from ministry of agriculture.
The member of Commission IV, Indonesian Legislators, Salim Fahri did appreciate SYL because during the pandemic, he could attend in the field. “SYL is always with the people. He proves it today in his busy activity. I am happy for him,” he said.He is also proud of the increasing numbers in agriculture when the other sectors got decreasing.
For information, the gross domestic product (GDP) in agriculture increased 16,24% in the second quarter of 2020 (q to q) and year on year (YoY), the agriculture positively contributed reaching 2,19%. The agricultural exports in August 2020 significantly increased reaching 8,6 percent or increased to be Rp 36,5 billion compared to the same period in 2019 which reached Rp 32,6 billion.
It happened for the food plantation subsector within the highest progress reaching 9,23 percent. Fahri did hope that ministry of agriculture keeps supporting Aceh to be the food barn nationally.
Maximize the Yard
SYL also asked for the people to optimize their yard. The people could plant vegetable and cayenne pepper anytime.
In the chance, he also handed over 3 RMUs to increase the rice production in Aceh. He also suggested make agricultural cluster to increase the farmers’ economy.
In the same spot, General Director of Food Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, Suwandi told that ministry of agriculture keeps supporting to plant paddy in every region.
For information, in 2019 the paddy harvest covered 32.884 ha within the production 187.597 tons milled dry grain or equal to 102.674 tons of rice and the productivity in 2019 reached 5,70 tons/ha.
“I do hope that every one of us do together to advantage the area potential to produce food,” he said
Ministry of agriculture gave the infrastructure helps, pre-post and post-harvest tools and encouraged the farmers to advantage kredit usaha rakyat (KUR). Ministry of agriculture also gave the stimulant to District of Aceh Besar within the total help in 2020 about Rp 6,3 billion. (A2)
