Kotabaru boosts agribusiness-based food-resilience

Kotabaru, South Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The Kotabaru District Government keeps boosting food self-sufficiency based on rice agribusiness, Regency Secretary Said Akhmad said here, Wednesday.

Various programs applied by the local government to increase rice production, he said after attending rice paddy harvest in Pemblacanan Village, Kelumpang Selatan Sub-district.

Among them, he said, intesifying quality improvement (rice paddy agribusiness) covering 100 hectares to support the national food self-sufficiency program and agribusiness-based food sovereignty which is a joint endeavor of government and community.

"Improving quality of intensification of paddy rice agribusiness supports the national food self-sufficiency and agribusiness-based food soverignty," he expounded.

"We, on the behalf of the local government, appreciate the Maju Makmur Farmers Group for the success of this paddy rice harvest," he pointed out.

The secretary asked farmers to use agricultural land consistantly and improve crop quality and productivity for the welfare of society.

The increase in agricultural production will certainly provides contribution to the stability of food prices in Kotabaru District, thus it will help controlling inflation.

Said Akhmad appealed to all agricultural extension workers to continue to increase counseling and guidance to farmers, thus it will help them to increase production.

Chairs of the farmers group in Pembelacanan Village Suli Sarwono said that the paddy field with an area of about 20 hectares should have been 50 hectares but was cleared of by palm oil plantation that only 20 hectares can be cultivated.

"In 2023 we have an increase in paddy rice yields of around 8.4 tons," he said.

However, he admitted, farmers experienced problems that they have no hand tractors. Thus the situation hampered planting, and forced them to borrow hand tractors from other parties.