Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) is again planning to turn swamp land into rice fields. This step was taken to boost domestic production.
Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Andi Amran Sulaiman said there were around 1.5 million hectares of swamp land, both mineral swamps and rain-fed swamps, that could be cultivated to increase the cropping index (IP).
“We are planning acceleration, there is huge potential in Indonesia, namely land that can be cultivated, approximately 1.5 million hectares and we will focus on working first to increase the planting index (IP) more easily,” said Amran when met by journalists at the Jakarta Ministry of Agriculture Office, Monday ( 10/30/2023).
Amran targets that with this plan, swamp land with an IP of only 1 will become 2, and previously 0 will become 2.
“This swamp is used as land whose IP is 1 to 2, 0 to 2. This is our target,” he said.
However, he said that until now his party had not yet calculated the budget for working on the swamp land. “We’ll budget for this later,” said Amran.
“If we do this, God willing, our agriculture will be in order,” he continued.
 Photo: Illustration of Rice Fields in Cambodia. (Doc. Freepik)Illustration of Rice Fields in Cambodia. (Doc. Freepik) |
Meanwhile, the Director General of Food Crops at the Ministry of Agriculture, Suwandi, said that there is a lot of potential in swamp land that is ready to be exploited to boost production, including rain-fed land, swampy land and tidal land.
“There is a lot of potential land in swamp land that is ready, with treatment that is not too difficult for us to pursue planting, which has the potential to be immediately processed into production, immediately pursued,” said Suwandi when met on a different occasion.
He said that the cultivation of the swamp land was being carried out in stages. Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture will first pursue 1 million hectares of mineral or swamp land that can be planted with rice.
“This is gradual, we will first pursue 1 million hectares in mineral swamps, or swamps that can be planted with rice,”
A number of areas, said Suwandi, are in South Sumatra, parts of South Kalimantan, West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan.
“Basically, we work optimally, we pursue what is faster,” he continued.
Suwandi said that currently his party has started to consolidate with stakeholders. Such as preparing seeds and fertilizer.
“Basically, this November the movement has started, north of the equator there is enough water, south of the equator this November planting has started. Many farmers have moved to cultivate the land,” he explained.
If the rice planting process has been carried out since November, he said, it is possible that the harvest will be carried out in February 2024.
“If it is November it will be harvested in February, what is planted in December will be harvested in March,” he concluded.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
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