Agricom.id, JAKARTA – The pandemic of corona virus (Covid-19) which still hits does not make ministry of agriculture surrender, as the front-liner to prevent the impact of Covid 19.  Ministry of agriculture, as what President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) told, should do real actions to guarantee the food availability in this situation.

Following up the instruction, Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL), Tuesday (12/5) in the Agriculture War Room (AWR), he saluted the faremrs in many districts in the video conference of Gerakan Percepatan Tanam Padi and Jagung Serentak di seluruh Indonesia, as in the official written statement to Agricom.id.

In his speech, SYL really thanked the leaders of the regions for directly coming to the field and making sure that everything is under control and secured together. “If the heads of regions want to do field check, there would be decisions. I was the head of regions for 25 years. I think that making decision in the field, we could sense the smell of the soil and influence well to each region,” he said.

He thought that Covid 19 is one real challenge because it directly influences the people. The solutions are medical solution and food security. The food preparation is the solution to Covid-19. That is why we should work harder, more integrated, and cooperative to ensure that the people get the food.

“One thing to be aware of is the recommendation of the Food and Agriculture Organization saying that after Covid-19 passes by, there would be food crisis in the world and the long dry season based on the recommendation of geophysics, climatology, and meteorology agency. This should not happen in our country. We have to face by working hard and not surrender to face the food crisis in the world,” he emphasized.

He also took everyone in agriculture to face the challenges by doing two things, they are, planting faster and right infrastructure distribution by hoping that by more intensive cooperation, everything could run well. “I am ready if you call me, talking about the urgent ones. I would coordinate with the general directors,” he said.

The video conference was joined by 77 districts within the backgrounds, planting, harvesting paddy and corn. There was governor of Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), 22 regents from Jayapura, Merauke, Tapin, West Sumbawa, Humbang S, Southwest Aceh, Batang, Barru, Enrekang, Lingga, Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI), Banyuasin, Bungo, Landak, Kolaka, Belu, Batang, Bone, Bone Bolango, Pringsewu, Lingga, and Tuban. Governor of NTT, Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat joined the conference as his commitment to support what SYL has done.

Chairman of IV Commission, Indonesian Legislators, Sudin also joined the video conference. He told and hoped that the pandemic would be end so that the agriculture could normally run, namely in its relation to the budget refocusing, it is hoped not to bother the work of the officers in agriculture sectors.

In the event, everyone, from 77 districts and 21 provinces, was committed by saying ‘Kami Siap Menjaga Pangan Indonesia”.

In his dialogue with the governors and the regents, SYL told the specific, that is, prepare the barn or food in the province and district levels. The heads of villages are hoped to develop the barn in their areas so that the food is available. “Do not directly sell the paddy so that the people could get it always,” he said.

He also suggested notice the irrigation through the irrigation work. “We would discuss it with ministry of public work and people’s housing to support the agriculture,” he excitedly said.

He convinced that the food stocks are in control and asked for the same commitment from every region to focus the increasing food production.

As the description, according to General Director of Food Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, Suwandi, the target of paddy and corn planting in 2020 is higher enough than it in the previous year. “To get the target, the paddy planting should be optimized in May to September 2020,” he said.

In 2020 the government nationally targeted that the paddy planting would cover 11,66 million hectares (ha), and would be potential to produce 33,6 million tons of rice. For corn, the planting target would cover 4,49 million ha and potential to produce 24,17 million tons of dry shell. “The numbers should be told to each province, district/city to describe to the sub district and village within each detail in every month. The detail of target should be the same commitment in every level and the reference to measure the target of paddy planting,” he said.

He also mentioned that the government has the strategies, such as, to increase the planting index by land cultivation acceleration to plant paddy immediately and expanding the new areas on the dry land, swamp, and making new paddy fields; optimizing the agriculture system tools of pre-harvest and post-harvest; and accelerating the activities listed in the Country’s Budget and Regional Budget in 2020. The most important thing is to increase the development and monitoring of the field activity done by the counselors, army, officers of plantation disturbing organism, surveyors of plantation seeds, and head of agency branch in each sub district.

Suwandi also told that based on area sample or kerangka sampel area (KSA), Central Bureau of Statistic, it is known that the potential of paddy harvest in May 2020 would cover 1,25 million ha, that could produce about 3,43 million tons of rice, while the harvest potential in June 2020 would be 0,74 million ha that could produce 1,94 million tons of rice. The rice stock in the end of June 2020 may be about 6,84 million tons. For the corn, it is agreed that the harvest potential in May 2020 would cover 0,21 million ha, which could produce dry sell within water content about air 15% reaching 0,98 million tons.

He did hope that the counselors should report the additional areas of paddy planting in their regions in phase through short message service (SMS) to their coordinators and branch head of agency and head of technical unit in the agency of sub district. “Do not forget to send the daily reports to the plantation agency in the district/city and followed up to the province and central/developers of upaya khusus in each district/city,” he said. (A2)