PRESIDENT Joko Widodo (Jokowi) together with Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman (Mentan Amran), reviewed the water pump assistance in Layoa Village, Gantarangkeke District, Bantaeng Regency. President Jokowi is optimistic that the pumping will boost national rice production while significantly improving farmers’ welfare.
The implementation of pumps, according to the President, is able to encourage farmers to increase the planting index from one to two or three times a year. In addition to being able to supply water more efficiently and on time to agricultural land, the President hopes that pumping can anticipate extreme weather such as El Nino which causes long droughts.
“The farmer said that here they only harvested once even though the land is fertile, this is because there is no water, with the pump, this is the second planting, we hope that later we can enter the third planting, this will increase our rice productivity nationally, the direction is there, and also to anticipate the long drought that occurs in all countries,” said President Jokowi as quoted from a statement received on Friday (5/7).
For information, the distribution of pumps in South Sulawesi Province from 2019-2024 is 5,230 units, while for Bantaeng Regency, 81 pump units were allocated this year. President Jokowi said that although the need for pumps in Bantaeng Regency is 150 pumps, this initial assistance will certainly fully support the production activities of Bantaeng Regency farmers in the field.
“I am heading to Bantaeng Regency, to see the installation of pumping, the installation of pumps, which were provided by the Ministry of Agriculture in Bantaeng Regency as many as 80 pumps, the need is 150, earlier the Regent said that the need was 150, 80 pumps have been provided, this will increase productivity,” he explained.
On the same occasion, Minister of Agriculture (Mentan), Andi Amran Sulaiman said that pumping allows farmers to plant throughout the season. He said that pumping is a quick solution to anticipate climate threats such as drought which has the potential to greatly reduce food production.
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“I always say that now we need pumping to fulfill water from the river to the rice fields. Why? It is impossible for us to escape the food crisis if we do not do this quick solution. Remember that currently there are 50 countries experiencing famine. We must not experience the same thing,” said Amran.
According to him, the government has targeted the achievement of self-sufficiency and also the world’s food barn to be achieved in a short time. For that, the focus of the work being carried out is installing pumps, printing rice fields to transforming traditional agriculture into modern agriculture.
“We were self-sufficient in the past, in 2017, 2019 and 2020. And what we are doing is a product of policy and joint collaboration,” he said.
For information, the area of Bantaeng Regency is 6,050 ha with the potential of rain-fed rice fields in this Regency reaching 1,549 hectares. With the addition of 81 pump units, it is expected to increase rice production in Bantaeng Regency from the previous year. (Z-6)
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