Kotabaru's village builds 2.7 km irrigation, boosts rice production

The 2.7 kilometers long irrigation channel in Bumi Asih Village was recently built to boost lowland rice production. (Antaranews Kalsel/ohi)

The 2.7 kilometers long water channel and 450 meters paddy field water bag serve to anticipate the dryness of rice fields in the dry season, so farmers can channel water from irrigation to their rice fields,

Kotabaru, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The 2.7 kilometers long irrigation channel in Bumi Asih Village was recently built to boost lowland rice production. (Antaranews Kalsel/ohi)

The government of Bumi Asih Village, Kelumpang Selatan Sub-district, Kotabaru, built a 2.7 km long agricultural water channel (irrigation) and made bags of paddy water for farmers to be able to maximize their land cultivation with two planting season in a year.

Chief of Bumi Asih Village Supardi said the construction of this irrigation will increase rice field production because it does not rely on solely on rain-fed.

"The 2.7 kilometers long water channel and 450 meters paddy field water bag serve to anticipate the dryness of rice fields in the dry season, so farmers can channel water from irrigation to their rice fields," said Supardi.

Seeing the extent of the rice field in Bumi Asih Village, the current irrigation is still lacking, as it cannot reach most of the farmers' rice fields.

However, Supardi was grateful for the role of the district, provincial, and central government in budget allocation for the construction of the agricultural facilities.

"Our hope is a longer irrigation to be built, so it reaches (the entire) farmers' rice field areas in our village," said Supardi, while expressing gratitude to the government through the related agency for the construction of water bag and irrigation.

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Head of Kotabaru Agriculture Agency Hairuddin stressed that increasing production of rice, corn, and soybeans is a national program from the central to the village level.

The target of rice planting in Kotabaru District is 25,500 hectares, corn 5,000 hectares, and soybeans 9,500 hectares.

"It has been achieved in the planting season of October-March, namely rice 21,075 hectares, corn 4,138 hectares, and soybeans 2,104 hectares. The rest will be in the following season," he said.

Hairudin said, the achievement of the special target until mid-2020, rice 25,096 hectares or 98 percent, corn 6,124 hectares or more than 100 percent, and soybeans 3,304 hectares or 35 percent.