Agricom.id, MAROS – To increase the soybean production nationally, the farmers did soybean harvest in Village of Leang-Leang, Sub district of Bantimurung, District of Maros covering 92 hectares (ha), Tuesday (14/7/2020).

The soybean harvest was done in highly health protocol to prevent the spread of corona virus (Covid-19) and was attended by regent of Maros; Director of Bean and Bulbs, Ministry of Agriculture, Head Food Plantation, Horticulture, and Plantation, South Sulawesi Province; Head of BPTP South Sulawesi Province; Commander of Army 1422/Maros; Head of Plantation Agency, District of Maros; Head of Central Bureau of Statistic, District of Maros; the soybean farmers in Village of Leang-Leang.

Surrounded by Geopark Hutan Karst National Park, as the second widest in the world, the Argomulyo soybean in the village could produce 2 tons/ha.

In his speech, Regent of Maros, H.M. Hatta Rahman said that there are 5 sub districts planting soybean in the district. One of them is in Sub district of Bantimurung within the potential covering 150 ha. One issue to plant and develop soybean is the small productivity which is not profitable for the farmers. “That is why we ask for ministry of agriculture to develop the new variety which could produce higher to get better result and increase the soybean farmers’ economy,” he said, as in the official written statement to Agricom.id.

In his speech, Director of Bean and Bulbs, Ministry of Agriculture, Amirudin Pohan told that the challenge to plant soybean is about to provide the production for the needs. To answer this challenge, Research and Development Agency of Ministry of Agriculture has developed the variety, Biosoy within big seed and the productivity reaching 2,4 tons/ha. “This could be the answer for Regent of Maros. We have developed the soybean varieties within the productivity reaching 2,5-3 tons/ha,” he said.

Even though in general the soybean production decreased in South Sulawesi, in District of Maros in the last three years, the production increases within the average planting covering about 800-900 ha per year. The production in 2018 covered 1.013 ha or increased 13,7% compared to it in 2017.

In 2019, the production increased 3,5% to be 1.049 tons. “In 2020 it is hoped to increase again because ministry of agriculture has allocated the helps for about 200 ha in District of Maros and alhamdulillah it is planted,” he said.

In the future, it needs to work harder to increase the soybean production in this province as the central production in Sulawesi. Soybean gets more expensive and promising business. It is also hoped that it would make the soybean more expensive and triggers the farmers to re-plant it.

In the other place, General Director of Food Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, Suwandi said that ministry of agriculture, the regional governments and the partners keep trying to maintain the food stocks stable in the domestic by hoping that the people do not worry about the food stocks. Based on what Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo told, the food availability, the distribution, and the price during the corona virus (Covid-19) pandemic should be controlled, including the soybean because it is the commodity to produce nutrients for human.

"Ministry of agriculture would do the best to guarantee and distribute the food stocks to the consumers,” he said. (A2)