Agricom.id. KARANGANYAR - Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) who is also as Minister of Marine and Fishery Ad interim, together with the member of Commission IV Indonesian Republic, Luluk Nur Hamidah visited integrated farming areas developed by the farmers in Village of Kragan, Sub district of Gedongrejo, District of Karanganyar; and in Village of Giri Roto, Sub district of Ngemplak, District of Boyolali, Saturday (19/12/2020). The integrated farming covers paddy, coconut, orange, hydroponic (vegetable), ducks, parrot, catfish within bioflock in one region in corporate – base.

SYL said that integrated farming is one breakthrough to increase production and would strengthen food security holistically and nationally. Integrated farming is the real thing that the government suggested to make Indonesia better to face any challenge, namely Covid-19 pandemic which really influences the economy globally.

“Besides the acceleration of production, we would realize up to the downstream industries to produce export quality – food. Integrated farming is not only here but also, as we planned, should be in each sub district and could be the model nationally so that the business process takes place to the end,” SYL said, as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

SYL thought that integrated farming is the breakthrough to increase the planting index of paddy to be 4 times of planting and harvest in a year or known as IP400. It should be developed in every region in Indonesia to significantly increase rice production.

“Mister general director of food plantation, I hope that IP400 of paddy should be massively implemented in every sub district. We need to introduce integrated farming concept to be zero waste and our food would be better in any challenge. We would make the concept of agriculture in better corporate base and people’s industries to be better. Every food product, both from the plantation and livestock should have higher added values. We should develop in many regions in Indonesia,” he said.

Regent of Karanganyar, Juliyatmono did appreciate what SYL did by making pilot project of integrated system farming in Karanganyar. Juliyatmono thought that it is the same with what President Joko Widodo told to increase the people’s economy and support the young generations to do better farming.

“Hopefully we could develop agriculture to defend the country. Thank you for the helps, Minister Syahrul. Agriculture is the best economic provider of exchange in Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

General Director of Food Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, Suwandi told that Ministry of Agriculture would focus to support integrated farming development by giving helps, such as, kredit usaha rakyat, seeds, other production infrastructures and the downstream aspects. This is the model that would be developed in other regions so that food security develops nationally.

"Integrated farming means to have zero waste. It means that the input of external usage could be minimized. Whatever in the insitu should be efficiently processed in the input. It needs to optimize what the farmers produce,” he said. (A2)