Agricom.id, BANTAENG – Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) and Regent of Bantaeng, Ilham Azikin did corn harvest for about 350 hectares in Village of Kaloling, Sub district of Gantarang Keke, Monday (20/4).

By using the self-protection tools based on the health protocol in the harvest areas, SYL reminded that it is important to stay together in the pandemic of virus corona (Covid-19).

“In the pandemic of Covid-19, this is the time when our concern is being tested. The virus also is the test for us to take partisanship to the people, the concern to the nation,” he said, as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

He thought that there are three things to notice, the first is, the threat of Covid-19 for it spreads to many countries. The second is the drought in Vietnam and Thailand as the rice producer and exporter. The two countries, he thought, start implementing the tight management to food procurement. The third is the possible impacts after Covid-19 ends, such as, the global economy.

“Starting now each of us should take parts based on our capability and capacity. I am proud of the corn production in Bantaeng,” he said.

He also gave the helps, such as, paddy seeds for about 6.200 hectares (155.000 kg), hybrid corn seed for about 3.000 hectares (45.000 kg), 3 units of power thresher, 5 units of corn sheller, and 3 units of multi-function mobile power thresher.

“Hopefully the helps could increase the productivity. This is the good harvest. I am proud of what the people of Bantaeng did. The stakeholders should maximally absorb it based on the selling price, of course,” he told.

He also reminded that there is one thing to solve together, that is, the food price in the farmers’ level is still cheap.

“This is our work. But I believed that this would have the solution from us,” he said.

Corn, he continued, is the strategic commodity in the food security nationally and is as the economic mobilizer in the nation. Besides, it contributes to nutrient procurement as the woof, both for the woof, fishery, and other industries.

Meanwhile, Regent of Bantaeng, Ilham Azikin thought that Covid-19 influences the corn price about 40 percent because some corn industries minimize their operational and make it not absorbed by the markets.

He continued that the corn demands in the next five years would be increasing as same as the increasing population.

“District of Bantaeng does the best to protect the farmers. If the harvest fails, District of Bantaeng and ministry of agriculture run the insurance programs, such as, Asuransi Usaha Tani Padi (AUTP) and in 2020 the target would cover 5 thousand hectares of paddy fields; Asuransi Usaha Ternak Sapi (AUTS) would cover 6 thousand female cows,” he said.

The corn field in Bantaeng, he continued, reached 15 thousand hectares and they are in many sub districts, including in the Village of Kaloling, Sub district of Gantarang Keke. When the first planting, the farmers planted corn for about 350 hectares and it is predicted to produce 7-8 tons per hectare. (A2)