Agricom.id, TULUNGAGUNG – Governor of East Java, Khofifah Indar Parawansa did Gerakan Percepatan Tanam Padi or Paddy Planting Acceleration, the second in the dry season to secure the food. This is the real thing to do to avoid the food crisis as the impact of corona virus (Covid-19) pandemic. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned that the impact of the pandemic in the world is the food crisis.

“The paddy planting acceleration is about to anticipate the food crisis because the long dry season would take place and because of the Covid-19 pandemic in the second period of 2020,” she said in the Percepatan Tanam Padi together with Regent of Tulungagung, Maryoto Birowo; the Regional Secretary of East Java, Heru Tjahjono ; and the leaders of Tulungagung in Village of Bangunjaya, Sub district of Pakel, District of Tulungagung, Sunday (7/6/2020), as in the official written statement to Agricom.id.

She directly planted the paddy (inpari 42) in row system. She emphasized that the Gerakan Percepatan Tanam should be the moment to strengthen the food independency in East Java and in the nation.

“This is the same with what President Joko Widodo instructed, that is, asking for the regional governments that have food bard in the regions to accelerate the planting,” Khofifah said.

She also urged five districts where they are as the food barns in the province to accelerate the paddy planting, such as, Tulungagung, Ngawi, Nganjuk, Tuban, and Jember. The five regions are the barns in East Java and support 16 provinces in the eastern of Indonesia.

“East Java is the province to support 16 provinces in Indonesia, namely, in the eastern; it is hardly 80 percent of the logistic are supplied by East Java,” she said.

To get the optimal result, she also emphasized to the head of agriculture agency of East Java and the agriculture team to directly monitor the planting in each region which become the food barns in the province.

“We do hope that the realization of the planting until the harvest, there would be no more disturbance so that the harvest would be productive and the price is competitive,” she said.

For information, East Java is one region having the food barn status nationally. It had areas about 1.120.153 hectares in the first semester 2020. 

The paddy production in the first semester could be about 6.185.310 tons of dry grain or equal to 4.066.348 tons of rice. The potential consumption in the province may be about 2.133.143 tons of rice. in the first semester of 2020, the province would  be surplus about 1.933.205 tons of rice.

Meanwhile, the Regent of Tulungagung, Marwoto Birowo said that the district would be always supporting the food in the province. The district is now in wet drought where many paddy fields are planted and do second harvest of corn.

“We do hope that the acceleration of the second planting, there would be more successful and significant result to support the food needs nationally,” he said.

Head of Agriculture Agency, East Java Province, Hadi Sulistyo said that District of Tulungagung has the planting targets reaching about 45.850 hectares in 2020. In June, the target to plant would be 3.390 hectares.

Village of Bangunjaya has 160 hectares within the total area to plant in Sub district of Pakel reaching 973 hectares. The variety to plant is Inpari 42, Inpari 16, and Logawa. He believed that if every side is in synergy, starting from the government, the farmers, and the food stakeholders, the food in the province would be more than enough,

“I believe and have slogan, if we are united, the food would be available,” he said.

In the other place, General Director of Food Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, Suwandi told that Gerakan Percepatan Tanam in April-September 2020 should run in 8 mainstay regions, 9 major regions, and 16 developing regions. Ministry of Agriculture would give the seed helps, agriculture machines, insurance so that the planting acceleration would be successful within the high harvests.

“This is the time for every region to prove its commitment to contribute to the people. The planting acceleration should be the main thing to do,” he said.

“Just like what Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo told, the paddy planting acceleration has been running since the early of this month. The officers in ministry of agriculture would directly monitor the field to ensure that every region has the same will to accelerate it,” he told.

For information, in the second planting, the targets to plant would be 5,6 million hectares. From the numbers, in July to December 2020, there would be 12,5 - 15 million tons of rice. The harvests in January - June reached 5,83 million hectares within the production 29,31 million tons of dry grain. (A2)