Agricom.id, INDRAMAYU - Ministry of agriculture keeps encouraging the regions to enlarge the paddy planting to secure the rice production, so that after corona virus (C0vid-19) ends, there would be rice deficit or food crisis. Indramayu as the biggest paddy center in Indonesia keeps being urged by ministry of agriculture by providing seeds, tools, such as, tractor, water pump, agriculture insurance, and fund through kredit usaha rakyat (KUR) to realize the cultivation and planting immediately.

“Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo has warned the threat of dry season just like FAO did too that would make massive food crisis. Today, we directly do field check as the quick response to solve the massive flood in 1.500 hectares paddy fields so that it could be planted immediately,” General Director of Food Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, Suwandi said when seeing the areas in Village of Ilir, Sub district of Kandanghaur, District of Indramayu, Thursday (18/6/2020) as in the official written statement to Agricom.id.

He also mentioned that to solve the areas in flood to plant paddy as quick as it could, ministry of agriculture would give paddy seeds which are durable to salinity for about 1.500 hectares and so would the fertilizers. He also asked for the Plantation Agency of Indramayu to propose the construction of irrigation sluice so that if the flood would happen, it would not flood the areas.

“We immediately respond it. Do not let our agriculture areas not planted. We are ready to give helps to the farmers. This is what Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo said, not to abandon every issue,” he said.

In the same location, Head of Plantation Agency of Indramayu, Takmid was optimist to enlarge the areas to plant in June to September 2020. The paddy planting in October 2018 - May 2019 reached 203.091 hectares while in October 2019 - 2020 would be 201.953 hectares. The lack of paddy planting in 2019 would be covered by the planting in June 2020.

Plantation Agency of Indramayu targeted that the paddy planting in June 2020 would be 37.120 hectares, while ministry of agriculture targeted about 46.373 hectares within paddy productivity reaching 7,3 tons per hectares. There would be about 338.523 tons of dry grain.

"The paddy planting realization in District of Kabupaten Indramayu per 20 June 2020 would be 20.017 hectares. The target areas would be 46.373 hectares and we are optimist to realize it,” he said.

He continued that his side is optimist to enlarge the areas to plant in June - September 2020 because the re-cultivation and water are enough, the infrastructures, such as, tractors, water pumps are available so that when dry season occurs, the water would be easy to get.

“Besides the seeds helps from ministry of agriculture are right in time to get and ready to be planted,” he said.

F0r information the massive flood in Indramayu covered 1.500  hectares of agriculture areas in 6 villages, such as, Ilir, Eretan Wetan, Eretan Kulon, Kerta Winangun, Bulak, and Parean Girang in Sub district of Kandanghaur.

The Farmers’ Corporates

Takmid also mentioned that Plantation Agency of Indramayu does welcome the program of ministry of agriculture to develop the farmers’ corporates so that the agriculture activity could be better, independent, and modern. The focus of farmers’ corporates is paddy and the other supporting commodities are corn, livestock, and horticulture, such as, vegetable, and water melon.

“The corporates are in three sub districts, they are, Lelea, Trisi, and Cikedung which cover 27 villages. The farmers’ corporates would optimize the groups. One village would be one corporate within different projects, such as, rice, seeds, and managing the tools services.

He continued, by the making farmers’ corporates, the farmers would get the solution about the price when harvest season comes. It means, the corporate would give or guarantee the grain price which is profitable for the farmers.

“Through the corporate model, the farmers would produce the numbers of rice in the same quality and quantity continuously for being in one region to develop sustainably in the region,” he said. (A2)