Tanjung, South Kalimantan 14/12 (AntaranewsKalsel) - Potential swampy (lebak) areas in Tabalong District, South Kalimantan, is quite high with an area reached 5,352 hectares spread in the southern region.
But the considerable potential of swampy areas which developed as agricultural land are in flood prone areas, explained Head of Food Crops Section Food Crops and Horticulture Agency Sudarsih in Tanjung, Wednesday.
"There are four sub-districts in which the potential of lebak land quite high, namely Banua Lawas, Kelua, Muara Harus, and Pugaan," said Sudarsih.
The ​​swampy areas in Banua Lawas is 3,084 hectares, 1,125 hectares in Pugaan, Kelua 995 hectares and 148 hectares in Muara Harus.
In the flood prone areas, swampy areas were difficult to be developed into agricultural land. Though the presence of this land is increasingly important in order to maintain food self-sufficiency in rice and in view of the less agricultural land and arable land.
To overcome the limitations of swampy land use, Tabalong administration took Faculty of Agriculture, University of Lambung Mangkurat Banjarbaru to conduct studies.
"The Faculty of Agriculture has been conducting studies on the development of swampy areas in Tabalong as reference for the provision of facilities and infrastructure," explained Head of Food Crops and Horticulture Agency Johan Noor Effendi.
Through the studies will be formulated solution to increase cropping index in swampy areas, thereby increasing productivity and improving the welfare of local farmers.
Lowland swamp land potential in Indonesia reached 14 million hectares consists of shallow swampy marsh area of ​​4.166 million hectares, mid swampy 6.076 million hectares and deep swampy 3.039 million hectares.
