Agricom.id, KULON PROGO - Ministry of agriculture keeps supporting the paddy seed procurement, Inpari (IR) - Nutri Zinc to prevent the stunting. District of Kulon Progo, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY) Province tries to prevent stunting through Pengembangan Petani Produsen Benih Padi Berbasis Korporasi Petani.

Head of Agriculture and Food Agency, District of Kulon Progo, Muh Aris Nugroho, the coordinator of counselors and the counselors of Kapanewon Sentolo, the management of UD. Sari Tani did harvest IR – Nutri Zinc paddy corporate in the groups of Warga Rukun, Village of Sukoreno, Kapanewon Sentolo, District of Kulon Progo, Friday (14/8/2020). The harvest covered 2 hectares (ha) of 25 hectares in total  within the bulbs and 6,4 tons/ha in average where the rat hit the region.

“The life style which keeps developing highly urged the people’s need of healthy food. The progress of science and technology makes the function of rice change – not only as the source of carbohydrate but also should make the people healthy,” he said in the harvest.

He also thought that Inpari – Nutri Zinc corporate harvest would also be allocated to fulfill the needs of high nutrition seeds in Kulon Progo. He did hope that in the future, the planting of such paddy could solve the stunting issue in the district.

“The most important is that the seed corporate could empower the group to be the seed producer,” he said, as in the official written statement to Agricom.id.

In the other place, General Director of Food Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, Suwandi told that just like what Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo said, ministry of agriculture keeps innovating to provide the high nutrition seeds, anti-stunting, that is, IR-Nutri Zinc. The government focuses to reduce the numbers of stunting for the children because it relates to the quality of the next generations.

“One factor is the lack of Zinc. If a female who is carrying the baby is lack of Zinc, the baby would be thin or small. It would influence the immunity of the baby and the brain development. For all these years, the people consume the rice without noticing the nutrition,” he said.

Director of Seeds, General Directorate of Food Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, Takdir Mulyadi also said that just like the description, the variety has amylose for about 16,6 percent, Zn for about 34,51 parts per million (ppm) (8 ppm more than the regular variety that farmers used to plant, such as, Ciherang within Zn about 24,06 ppm). Besides full of nutrition, the variety has high productivity, durable to the chocolate planthopper, blast, tungro, but it is tasteful and fluffier.

“If the many people of Kulon Progo know this, the selling price of Nutri Zinc would be more expensive than the regular one and the producer farmers would get the added values,” he said.

He also hoped that District of Kulon Progo could fulfill the anti-stunting seed independently and make the farmers better.

“It is hoped that the seeds could be directly planted to fulfill the program and self – sufficiency in the region,” he said. (A2)