Agricom.id, PULANG PISAU – To supply the additional stock nationally and anticipate the impacts of Covid-19, the government does the breakthrough by developing the food estate region which one location is developed in Central Kalimantan Province.

Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) told that just like what President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo told, the food estate would be the pilot project by implementing the modern agricultural technology that makes the cultivation is different from the traditional ways.

“Today President of Indonesia is here in Pulang Pisau, Central Kalimantan to see the progress in food estate,” SYL said when accompanying President to see the progress in Village of Belanti Siam, Sub district of Pandih Batu, District of Pulang Pisau, Thursday (8/10/20), as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

SYL told that the cultivation in the food estate would be in agricultural corporate base which means that there would be integration of many commodities, such as, the food plantation, the horticulture, and even the livestock.

“President emphasized that the people (farmers) should not sell the grain only but also the rice. It means that there should be downstream products and the industries should be well managed,” he said.

He also mentioned that in the projects among ministries, the agricultural mechanism and technology should optimize the swamp to be the productive agricultural areas and increase the production.

The group would cultivate 100 hectares and the joint of groups would cultivate per 1000 hectares. It would make bigger corporate (to cultivate) 10.000 ha.

"There are many field corrections. We (the ministries) solve the field issues but the regional government and the people of Central Kalimantan would be the main factors to get the solution of the available issue,” SYL said.

In other place, General Director of Agriculture Infrastructure, Ministry of Agriculture, Sarwo Edhy told that the food estate is developed by the area optimization the swamp intensively to increase the products and planting index.

The technology component was called "Rawa Intensif, Super dan Aktual" (RAISA) which means it uses the new superior varieties within the high potential result; the area cultivation, the micro water management or  tata air mikro ( TAM), soil improvement, the balancing fertilization, the plant pest organism control, and the mechanism. “Food estate is the place to the multi-community cultivation. The farmers would not plant paddy only, but also others, such as, the horticulture, the food plantation, and the plantation, the livestock, and fishery, such as, orange, banana that could be planted by the sides of the paddy field,” he said.

He also mentioned that the pilot project in the food estate in Central Kalimantan Province would cover 30.000 hectares in 2020. 10.000 hectares would be in District of Pulang Pisau and 20.000 hectares would be in District of Kapuas.

"These are intensification areas which mean, the irrigation runs well both the primary, secondary, and tertiary that we optimize in 2020 covering 30000 hectares," Sarwo said.

The agricultural machines would be 1.232 units in total, such as, two vehicle – tractors, four vehicle – tractors, and transplanter. Drone is also used to plant within the spraying system.

The production infrastructures for 30.000 hectares in 2020 area available, such as, dolomite 1 ton per hectares, herbicide 4 liter per hectares, natural fertilizer 4 liter per hectare, urea 200 kg per hectare, NPK 200 kg per hectares. The seeds are paddy, horticulture (orange, longan, durian, and chili), coconut, duck, and the cages.

“By the pilot project, we encourage the farmers to change their mindset from the traditional ways to modern ways by using the mechanism,” he said. (A2)