Korem 101/Antasari expands 1,500 hectares rice fields

Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan 15/8 (AntaranewsKalsel) - The South Kalimantan military command Korem 101/ Antasari launched a 1,500-hectare rice field expansion program targeted to be completed by 30 November 2017.

"This year we are implementing the expansion of rice fields in seven districts in South Kalimantan, and I expect to finish the target of 30 November 2017," said the provincial military commander (Danrem) Colonel Army M Syafei K in Banjarmasin on Tuesday.

He said that in the program in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Army deployed the village supervisory non-commissioned officers (Babinsa) to assist the farmers or farmers union group (Gapoktan) in carrying out planting.

"Now every day the district military commander (Dandim) reports to me about farmers' land conditions, whether rice, corn or soybeans and I have to make sure everything goes according to what has been set in the original plan," Syafei said.

The addition of planting area itself, said Syafei, focused on the opening of new lands previously unused to be used as productive land for agriculture.

"With the addition of planting area we expect the next six months could increase agricultural production in South Kalimantan, and even surplus into national food stocks," said Danrem.

Furthermore, Syafei revealed that the national rice stock is currently experiencing a considerable decrease. This is because many agricultural products are not in accordance with the expected planting target of the government.

"Therefore, the Babinsa continues to encourage farmers to open up areas that have not been touched by agriculture, a productive land can harvest the target of the government for food self-sufficiency," he said.