Tanah Laut's shallot production reaches 11 tons in 2023

Pelaihari, South Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Tanah Laut District has been able to produce 11 tons shallots in 2023, Head of Horticulture of the Tanah Laut Agriculture, Food Crops, Horticulture and Plantation Office (Distanhortibun) Zainuddin Malik informed.

"With this local production of shallots, we always include it in every low price market activity," said Zainuddin Malik in Pelaihari, Tuesday.

Local shallot production, he said, comes from 30 farmers from eight sub-districts.

"Shallot is one of the causes of inflation in Tanah Laut," he pointed out.

Distanhortibun, he said, is striving to develop shallot cultivation to curb inflation. The production has begun since 2016.

"At this time, shallots in Tanah Laut are produced from potential land covering 300 hectares in eight shallot producing sub-districts," said Zainuddin.

Acting Tanah Laut Regent Syamsir Rahman said that the shallots provided by the Cooperative and Trade Office for low price markets are of Tanah Laut local products.

"I have prepared special budget for shallot in Tanah Laut, because it is proven that the production results are good," he said

If Tanah Laut still depends on the supply of shallots from East Java and West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), then the costs are quite high, but if it suplied by local shallot it will get cheaper prices.

"I saw that farmers were very happy that their shallots were immediately sold out at low price markets," he said.

Shallots, he continued, are really needed, especially for cooking vegetables, fish and other various dishes depending on shallots.

One of shallot farmers, Harsup Saputra, said that one of the difficulties in cultivating shallots in Tanah Laut is climate factor.

"To save shallot production, we are assisted by the Tanah Laut Distanhortibun," he said.

Syamsir said the difference in shallot cultivation in Kalimantan and Java are just climatic factors. "In Kalimantan the weather is hotter than Java." he said.