Martapura, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - South Kalimantan have succeeded in guarding the rice planting movement to increase food supply through the program to save swampland to welfare farmers (Serasi).
The success was realized with rice harvesting on 500 hectares of field in Beruntung Baru Sub-district, Banjar District, Thursday (March 12, 2020), attended by Governor Sahbirin Noor together with Banjar Regent H Khalilurrahman, the Agriculture Ministry's Director of Irrigation of Directorate General of Agriculture Facilities and Infrastructure Rahmanto, and Head of South Kalimantan Food Crops and Horticulture Syamsir Rahman.
Wearing a t-shirt, the governor enthusiastically started the event by planting rice seeds in the rice field of Kampung Baru Village.
After planting rice seed, at the same location, Uncle Birin, the governor's nickname, continued the activity by harvesting rice using a combine harvester machine.
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The harvest on 500 hectares from a total of 3 thousand hectares of rice field in Beruntung Baru was part of the Selamatkan Rawa Sejahterakan Petani (Serasi) program from the Ministry of Agriculture.
According to the governor, specifically for South Kalimantan, the program was implemented in nine districts. While Banjar District received an area of 23 thousand hectares from a total of 120 thousand hectares for the 2020 budget year.
On the same day, at a different location, Uncle Birin inaugurated the Integrated Rice Farming facility (SP3T) di Desa Salat Makmur.
“Today is a thanksgiving for the rice harvest in Kampung Baru Village. Let's echo the spirit of planting rice. Hopefully, our farmers get the maximum results," he remarked.
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Director of Irrigation Rahmanto expressed his gratitude and joy for the success of South Kalimantan in carrying out the rice planting movement.
He hoped the Integrated Rice Farming facility, which is equipped with rice grinder, will help to improve farmers' welfare.
Meanwhile, Regent Banjar H Khalilurrahman thanked for the attention of the governor and his ranks and the Ministry of Agriculture in encouraging the increase of agricultural production in the district.
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