Agricom.id, MANOKWARI – Some regions in Indonesia started accelerating the planting in the second period. This is the follow up of what Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo told to every leader to accelerate the paddy planting so that the dry season threat that Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced would not influence the food production namely rice in our country.

Responding to this issue, Governor of West Papua, Dominggus Mandacan proposed the paddy planting that covers 825 hectares in Village of Prafi Mulia SP 1, Sub district of Prafi, District of Manokwari, Thursday (18/6/2020). He told that District of Manokwari is potential to produce rice for the people to consume. But he also admitted that the rice stocks in the province are still from many regions.

“In the future, West Papua should optimize the areas to plant paddy so that we could have self-sufficient. I urged every officer to do field action together to accelerate paddy planting,” he said when proposing the paddy planting acceleration ceremony, as in the official written statement to Agricom.id.

Head of Agriculture Agency, West Papua Province, Jacob Fonataba said that the province targeted luas tambah tanam (LTT) in April - September 2020 about 3.176 hectares (ha); in June 2020 it would be 1.517 ha. He told that the farmers are happy by getting the production infrastructures, and tools to increase the production and income of the farmers.

“We keep encouraging the farmers here to advantage and cultivate the abandoned areas to plant in the dry season,” he said.

In the other spot, General Director of Food Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, Suwandi emphasized that ministry of agriculture, as what Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo told, is committed to reach the production target to fulfill the food needs. The planting target in the second period would be 5,6 million hectares. Every officer in the directorate should act fast to monitor every region massively to it, including paddy in West Papua.

“Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo warned the drought as FAO did too. This is our work to respond immediately by making the strategies to anticipate it,” he said.

Ministry of Agriculture has implemented Gerakan Percepatan Olah Tanah (GPOT) and planting in June to September 2020. As the stimulant, ministry of agriculture would distribute helps so that the farmers could re-cultivate their areas. The helps are seeds, fertilizers, tools, insurance, and also kredit usaha rakyat (KUR).

"The planting acceleration is about to secure the production, to maintain the food stability, and anticipate the dry season which may be the hardest one in August 2020. After pandemic, Indonesia could avoid the food crisis,” Suwandi said. (A2)