Agricom.id, BOYOLALI – Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) commits to develop integrated farming system in corporate – base in District of Boyolali, Central Java Province to increase the economy in the Covid-19 pandemic. Boyolali is officially the motor of agriculture in Java.

Today, Vice Regent of Boyolali and I want to optimize the areas here, or about 5.000 hectares to be improved, starting from the seeds, fertilizers, and other supporting things,” SYL said when visiting agricultural areas in Village of Dibal, Sub district of Ngemplak, District of Boyolali, Central Java, Friday (5/3/21), as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

He also told that besides controlling the pests, Ministry of Agriculture would do labor intensive to improve the irrigation or tunnels. The existing areas would be optimized to produce better and the regional government of Boyolali is testing everything.

“The people of Boyolali would live not only from paddy, corn, and beans. We would give coconut seeds to be developed in the available areas,” SYL mentioned.

“25 thousand coconut trees could become the economic scale or about 2,5 years to go. We could produce coconut oil, fiber, briquettes from the shell, coconut water to be de coo. Everything would be useful,” he said.

He also mentioned that his side would give orange seeds to plant. This is the opportunity to develop horticulture by making approach. If the people used to develop one commodity, they now could do many, such as, ducks, orange, and others with the role models.

“We do hope that many districts in Indonesia, namely Boyolali should get kredit usaha rakyat that President Joko Widodo has prepared for the farmers,” SYL said.

Vice Regent of Boyolali, Wahyu Irawan did appreciate what SYL does to develop agriculture in the district. Not only that, the helps would give more spirit to the farmers.

“About 30 percent of the people in Boyolali work as farmers within superior commodities, such as, paddy, corn, papaya, onion, chili, galangal, ginger, and cow milk,” he said.

He also told that the paddy fields in 2021 would be 49 thousand hectares within the production 280 thousand tons of milled dry grain (MDG) or equal to 161 thousand tons of rice and the citizens in Boyolali reaching 1 million men. If the consumption index is about 117.500 tons in average, Boyolali would supply the rice stock nationally about 44 thousand tons.

For information, District of Boyolali is in the second planting season within the estimation of planting reaching 10 thousand hectares and the planting has covered about 15 thousand hectares.

"In January – February, there were pest attacks, and others. But the presence of Minister SYL as the commandant to control the pest would enliven the spirit of the farmers here,” Wahyu said.

General Director of Food Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, Suwandi told that his side would keep encouraging everything to accelerate the farmers to develop farmers’ corporates in District of Boyolali. In 2021, his side would give helps about 9,35 billion rupiah in total in the forms of paddy, pre and post – harvest tools to develop regions of avocado, orange, kinds of chili, duck, woof, and other labor intensive helps.

“For the farmers in Boyolali, do not loose. We would develop Boyolali as one food center in Java,” he said.

Member of Commission IV Indonesia Legislators, Luluk Nur Hamidah; member of Commission III Indonesian Legislators, Eva Yuliana; member of Indonesian Council, Denty Eka Widi Pratiwi; Head of Agriculture Agency Central Java Province, Suryo Banendro; and echelon one officers in Ministry of Agriculture did attend there. (A2)