Agricom.id, HALMAHERA UTARA – Governor of Maluku Utara, Abdul Ghani Kasuba was happy when Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) did attend to meet the farmers in North Halmahera. He thought that the presence of minister would be the blessing for the people in North Maluku.

"I heard that minister of agriculture would be here. This is a blessing. I wanted to see him in Jakarta but I could not meet him. He himself wants to come here,” he said in his speech.

For information, after doing work visit in Pulau Buru, SYL continued his work visit in Sub district of Kao Barat, District of North Halmahera, North Maluku Province, Sunday (04/10) as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

SYL did directly see the paddy harvest and planting within mechanism system. He endured that the farmers should work knowing that food is the basic powerful source of a country. It needs supervision well.

“The agriculture never breaks its promise. We are here to ensure that everything runs well. North Halmahera is the great gift from God. The food is potential from this region namely in Covid-19 pandemic,” SYL said that the region could be the paddy production center in North Maluku Province.

The Planting

Head of Agriculture Agency, North Maluku Province, Rizal Ismail said that the province runs two strategic programs in agriculture, they are, Program Maluku Utara Menanam and Gerakan Orientasi Ekspor untuk Rakyat Sejahtera.

"The two are the continuity of Gratieks (gerakan tiga kali ekspor), and Grasida (gerakan peningkatan produksi, nilai tambah, dan daya saing). Next year we would encourage the coconut, nutmeg, and clove (to increase),” he said.

He also mentioned that there are about 5.600 tons of nutmeg production and 233.000 tons of coconut in every single year. If the production is improved, it could fulfill the agriculture export orientation from the province.

The province got about more than Rp 42,41 billion in the food plantation sub sector, agricultural tools. District of North Halmahera got about more than Rp 9,31 billion. (A2)