Agricom.id, KONAWE SELATAN - Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) accompanied by Regent in duty of Konawe Selatan, Arsalim Arifin did paddy harvest in Village of Cialam Jaya, Sub district of Konda, District of Konawe Selatan, Thursday (22/10/2020). It was the way of ministry of agriculture to force the regions and the farmers to prioritize the increasing food production and availability, such as, rice as the strategic main food to the economic progress nationally.

SYL said that the agriculture is the sector that positively works in the Covid-19 pandemic. Referring to the data from central bureau of statistic, agriculture gave 14% to the total gross domestic product (GDP), and provided employment for almost half of the total population. The increasing GDP in agriculture in the second quarter of 2020 reached 16,24% compared to the previous period.

“When other sectors were not good, the agriculture significantly increased. The agricultural exports in January to August 2020 reached Rp 258 billion and in September the exports increased 20,84 percent compared to the previous month. The farmers exchange rate in January - September 2020 reached 101,66 or increased 0,99 percent and the farmers business exchange rate in this period increased 0,90 percent," he said.

"I know that Konawe Selatan also supplies to other regions. This is fantastic. Thank you regent, head of agencies, my friends – the counselors and every farmer. My respect. You are the heroes of agriculture,” SYL as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

He also emphasized that ministry of agriculture keeps developing the same consolidation with every side to develop the agriculture by implementing the modern and digital agricultural technology and presenting national food barns which is in integrated with the corporate. The country should strengthen the food because the availability of food for 273 million people of Indonesia is something to prepare.

“You can postpone buy new cloth if it is broken. You can too if it is motor. But you cannot postpone to your food,” he emphasized.

Regent in duty of Konawe Selatan, Arsalim Arifin said that the district is one of biggest paddy producer in Southeast Sulawesi Province. Its production in 2020 could be 79.746 tons of milled dry grain or equal to 45.750 tons of rice.

“We would support to develop the agricultural development program through the corporate region. this would be very helpful for District of Konawe Selatan to encouraging the agricultural productivity. This would increase the agricultural production of the farmers and their welfare too,” he said.

In the same place, General Director of Food Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, Suwandi said that the programs in ministry of agriculture to District of Konawe Selatan in 2020 to increase the food production are Program Kawasan Tanaman Pangan Berbasis Korporasi (Propaktani) by developing the paddy region development in three sub districts, such as, Basela, Lalembu, Tinanggea. Its development covered 5.876 hectares and in cooperation with Village Enterprises of Konawe Selatan.

The other helps, he continued, are the paddy cultivation in the dry land (2.500 hectares), corn seed, (6.230 hectares), and new area expansion (3.608 hectares).

"Just like the Commandant, Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo told before, though in the pandemic, the agriculture must go on,” he said.

“(Ministry of agriculture starts introducing integrated farming to zero waste, both vertically, which means, from the onfarm (upstream to downstream) and horizontally, which means, the integrated concept among paddy, vegetables, breeding hen, cow, and others. The concept could be managed and done in cluster region in corporate – base,” Suwandi told. (A2)