Agricom.id, BOGOR – Many regions start to do the massive harvest in April-September. In the threat of dry, on 9 September 2020, the farmers in Village of Gandoang, Sub district of Cileungsi, District of Bogor did paddy harvest massively. The organic one reached 8,1 tons/hectare (ha) and non-organic one reached 7,2 tons/ha.

"In one hectare organic paddy field, the farmers harvested 8,1 tons. While the non-organic paddy field, they could harvest 7,2 tons," Head of Agriculture, Horticulture, and Plantation Agency, District of Bogor, Siti, Nurianty said, Thursday (10/09/20) as in the official written statement to Agricom.id.

Siti also said that in the dry season, Gabungan Kelompok Petani (Gapoktan) Gandoang Jaya did harvest the paddy because there are reservoir that could irrigate the farmers’ paddy fields.

"Alhamdulillah, in the dry season, we and Gapoktan Gandoang Jaya could harvest paddy. It happened for there is reservoir in the surrounding and could irrigate the farmers’ field,” she said.

She also mentioned that the organic paddy is more expensive than the non-organic one. Having the better productivity, the agency suggested that the farmers in District of Bogor to plant the organic one.

“Knowing the result, we suggest that the farmers should plant the organic one. Besides getting more productivity, there would be more income to get,” she said.

Siti thought that the dry season has something to do with the paddy production namely in the Sub district of Jonggol, Cariu, Tanjungsari, and around because the paddy fields could only produce when it is raining season.

"In Bumi Tegar Beriman, the paddy fields within irrigation are more than those when the rain falls, such as, in Sub district of Jonggol, Cariu, dan Tanjungsari. We need reservoirs or waduk cijuray. We asked for the helps from central government, balai besar wilayah Sungai Citarum or ministry of public work and people’s housing to fund and construct,” Siti said.

In the other place, General Director of Food Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, Suwandi hoped that District of Bogor could take part to multiply the paddy production. Ministry of agriculture would support it.

"It is hoped that every region proves its commitment to contribute to the people,” he said.

He also told that Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) told not to increase the production only but should get the additional values through the quality and should guarantee the selling price to increase the farmers’ economy. Ministry of agriculture takes every region to develop the farmers’ corporate to optimize the fund through kredit usaha rakyat (KUR) and be the off taker, which means, the stakeholders should develop the downstream sectors and guarantee the farmers’ commodity selling price.

“We also suggested that the farmers could get KUR through Kostraling (Komando Strategi Penggilingan) to secure the grain price. Just like Minister SYL told, the food production should keep operating and the farmers should be the first guards in such pandemic. But they have to notice their condition when working, do the health protocol carefully,” Suwandi told. (A2)