Agricom.id, POLEWALI MANDAR – Governor of West Sulawesi, Ali Baal Masdar did soybean planting in wider scale to succeed the food security program. He started it in Village of Sumberjo, Sub district of Wonomulyo, District of Polewali Mandar, Wednesday (22/07/20) as in the official written statement to Agricom.id.

“Of course we do hope, the program could welfare the people. By the planting, the first, our soybean production would minimize the imports; the second, it could welfare the people,” he said.

He also mentioned that the government is ready to fully support the people to succeed the program. The helps, such as, seeds, fertilizers, agriculture tools would be given for free by the government and the people would just plant and produce.

“To succeed the program, the government of West Sulawesi would plant soybean covering about 50 thousand hectares in four districts, such as, Polewali Mandar, Mamuju, Mamuju Tengah, Pasangkayupada in 2021,” he said.

In the same occasion, Regent of Polewali Mandar (Polman), Andi Ibrahim Masdar is ready to provide the areas and succeed the program. The available areas in Polman cover about 35 to 40 thousand hectares, but the effective ones cover 17 thousand hectares.

"If it is serious, we should discuss the technic because it is very essential. The important thing is what model to implement. It is said that there would be insurance. Is it right? Do not let the people massively plant soybean but it has no evidence. It always happens,” the man familiarly called AIM mentioned.

He also hoped that the soybean planting would not be the loss for others, namely the farmers. It needs further consideration, namely to the investors and the government of West Sulawesi.

“This may be realized. But we have to discuss it well because this is for the people. We have to think not only the farmers, but the corona virus as well in the future. Everyone should be in luck,” he said.

Knowing this, General Director of Food Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, Suwandi told that the soybean is one food plantation that needs the roles of the stakeholders to boost the glory of soybean in Indonesia. Just like what Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) told, the strategic commodity productivity should be increased seriously and expand the development to provide foods for 267 million citizens of Indonesia and the food exports get better.

“It needs to develop the seeds within more than 3 tons per hectare – productivity. The keys are in the seed and price. Every superior seed in the development and research (agency) should be distributed to increase the production,” he said.

He also explained that the marketing system formulation is the consideration to introduce the local product. Ministry of agriculture is committed to soybean. It was shown by Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) some time ago by planning the soybean planting in North Sulawesi

“The downstream is the important thing to notice when developing soybean to get the best price. It also needs partnership between the farmers and the industries to get the certain markets and advantage kredit usaha rakyat (KUR), so that the farmers would not depend on the government’s helps,” he said. (A2)