HSU govt encourages farmers to use subsidized fertilizer

Amuntai, S Kalimantan (AntaranewsKalsel) - The Government of North Hulu Sungai District (HSU), South Kalimantan, through the Agriculture Agency continues to encourage farmers to use subsidized fertilizer to increase agricultural production.

"Some farmers consider the agricultural land in North Hulu Sungai quite fertile because it consists of swampland so it does not need to use fertilizer, but if they use the fertilizer production is certainly more increased," said Chief Section of Fertilizers, Pesticides, Machinery and Agricultural Equipment of the agency Zainal Abdi in Amuntai on Tuesday.

Zainal said, the supply of subsidized fertilizer every year is sufficient for the needs of farmers, although the number is less than the application of farmers listed in the Definitive Needs Plan (RDK), but still sufficient up to a year.

The government allocated subsidized fertilizer for each region according to the absorption of the previous year's subsidized fertilizer and the area of agricultural land.

He said, the need of subsidized fertilizer in the District of HSU never experienced scarcity because not all farmers who use fertilizer.

"As an alternative, we encourage farmers to make organic fertilizer from cattle manure and household waste," said Zainal.

Actually, continued Zainal, the government prioritizes farmers to use this organic fertilizer because it has fewer chemical substances.

He informed that in 2017, HSU gets subsidized fertilizer allocation from central government with 60 tons of Urea, 5 tons SP36, 50 tons NPK and 10 tons of organic fertilizer. Until November 2017 the remaining 5.7 tons of Urea fertilizer, 1.15 tons of SP36 fertilizer and 2.3 tons of phonska.