Village Ministry hold first harvest for blessed food barn program in Barito Kuala

Barito Kuala, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration (PDTT) Ministry held first harvest of rice cultivation for the blessed food barn program in Anjir Pasar Kota II Village, Barito Kuala District, South Kalimantan.

The blessed food barn program was the initiative of the Banjarmasin Community Empowerment and Training Center for Villages, Disadvantaged Region and Transmigration (BPPMDDTT) in collaboration with the National Zakat Agency (Baznas) for South Kalimantan and Barito Kuala District Government, the BPPMDDTT Public Relation informed, Friday.

Some 25 petani, who were the group of mustahiq (zakat recipients) became the program participants. They cultivated the local variety of Siam Karang Dukuh rice organically on a 25 hectares land.

From the rice cultivation techniques that are oriented toward the use of natural (local) ingredients without using synthetic chemicals is expected to yield 100 tons of dry husked rice (GKP).

The first harvest was attended by Head of Human Resources Development (BPSDM) of the PDTT Ministry Prof. Dr. Luthfiyah Nurlaela M.Pd, Head of BPPMDDTT Banjarmasin Ahmad Syahir, Baznas-RI Saidah Sakwan, Chairs of Baznas South Kalimantan, and the local Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda).

Luthfiyah appreciated the BPPMDDTT, Baznas, Barito Kuala government and all farmers who have developed rice cultivation organically because the results are better and environmentally friendly. She hopes that this succesful program will be imitated by other farmers.

“Organic rice cultivation has more benefits. At least the production system is environmentally friendly, no polluting environment with chemical, and productivity is maintained and sustainable,” Luthfiyah pointed out.

Head of BPPMDDTT Ahmad Syahir admitted that he was very satisfied with the the achievement of the blessed food barn program and hopes it to be continued in the following years.

The  program, he said, has provided a real contribution to the efforts to increase production and rice productivity in Barito Kuala to realize acceleration of development and rural communities empowerment as well as achieving village sustainable development goals without hunger (SDGs Village).

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"I am  very proud of this harvest which is the efforts of farmers and collaboratio of BPPMDDTT Banjarmasin with Baznas, which was launched in 2020,” he said after the first harvest, Thursday (August 3).

Supingi, one of farmers, acknowledged that from the program, farmers received training, mentoring, coaching, so they were more focused.

“Last year we failed here, this year we never expect, we rise, a total of 25 hectares of land with average good results,” Supingi said.

Supingi added that through a cropping pattern using organic fertilizer the amount of paddy production increased from the usual 70 blek (one blek equals 20 liters) to 100 blek per hectare.

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