Agricom.id, KUKAR – To increase the agriculture production, ministry of agriculture in 2020 would do Optimasi Lahan (Opla) Rawa or optimizing the swamps in 14 provinces covering 50.000 hectares (ha). 

One is running in Village of Sebuntal, Sub district of Marangkayu, District of Kutai Kartanegara (Kukar) covering 300 ha done by Gapoktan Nusantara.

"The Opla Rawa is one answer to ensure the food security in Indonesia in the future namely for the increasing consumption needs of the people,” Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) said in the press release, Wednesday (6/5/2020) to Agricom.id

He also mentioned that the main goal of the Opla Rawa is to optimize the swamps to be productive agriculture areas through the area and water system management.

“The swamps are some or mostly full of water; it could be from the flood of the river or rain. The Opla Rawa should help solve it by the construction or the improvement of the water management so that the areas could be cultivated well," SYL said.

General Director of Agriculture Infrastructure, Ministry of Agriculture, Sarwo Edhy said that in East Kalimantan the allocation of the Opla Rawa covers 1.050 ha in two districts, they are, Kutai Kartanegara and Penajam Paser Utara.

The program is to increase the roles of the farmers and the groups, to develop the groups to do their business, and develop the areas/clusters in farmers’ corporates.

“It is hoped that by the better water management, the swamps could be cultivated in every year both in the dry or rain seasons. It means, the farmers could plant twice or three times in a year,” he said.

He also mentioned that the Opla Rawa is good in Kukar to develop the agriculture human resources through advantaging the swamps to be paddy fields.

"Opla would develop the swamps in Kukar to be agriculture productive areas to increase the paddy productivity. If in normal, there were 2,7 tons – 3 tons per hectare, it is hoped to be 5 tons – 6,5 tons per hectare," Sarwo Edhy said.

He thought that the Opla Rawa could make the planting index to be twice in the corn and paddy. It means, it is believed that advantaging the swamp could welfare the farmers.

Meanwhile, Head of Area and Irrigation, Livestock and Agriculture Agency, District of Kukar, Achmad Yani said that the region produced 3,9 tons/ha. But some areas were full of sea water or salt water. It needed embankment, water door, or door valve so that the planting could run well.

The Opla Rawa would be very helpful for the farmers to complete the agriculture infrastructures needed. The goal is to increase the paddy production or planting index,” he said.

He did hope that the Opla Rawa could continue. Besides, it could be put to the program in abandoned areas which are in one overlay within the functional paddy fields.

“After the Opla Rawa, the productivity targets could be 4,3 tons/ha within the IP 230. The Opla could reduce the harvest fail because of the flood in the secondary areas or tertiary (the valve making),” he ended his words. (A2)