Batulicin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Farmers in Bumi Asih Village, Kelumpang Selatan Sub-district, are optimistic that the village is able to become a food barn for Kotabaru District, South Kalimantan Province.
"Farmers in Bumi Asih Village are able to produce rice up to 1,300 tons per year from an area of 90 hectares," said the village's farmer Suli Sarwono in Batulicin, Monday.
He said the 90 hectare rice fields are managed by four groups of farmers and the rice harvest is maximized.
Maju Makmur farmers group manages 25 hectares of land, Sido Makmur 25 hectares, Karya bakti 18 hectares, and Harapan Baru 22 hectares.
On average farmers plant rice two to three times a year. In fact this year they target to boost production by increasing planting up to four times a year.
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The type of seed they use is suppadi 56 and mapan 05. While the inbred types are inpari nutrizink and inpari 32.
They apply the cultivation technique of jajar legowo (jarwo) super in a ratio of two to one, three to one, four to one, and five to one.
"The advantage of this technique is that it is easier for farmers to care for plants and the yields are maximized," Suli explained.
From the production that reaches 1,300 tons per year, he said, the Bumi Asih farmers are able to meet the rice needs in Kelumpang Selatan Sub-district, the district markets, and even distribute it outside Kotabaru.
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"This means that there is no doubt about farmers' skill in producing rice, and we are optimistic that Bumi Asih Village will become a fod barn for the Kotabaru District," he said.
Meanwhile, the district government in realizing food self-sufficiency provided assistance in the form of rice seeds, hand tractors, power thresher, and water pumps.
Previously, the government had built a 2.7 kilometers long water channel and 450 meter long water tank for rice fields.
"This serves to anticipate drying of rice fields during the dry season, so that farmers can channek water from irrigation to their rice fields," said Suli.
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