Banjarmasin, (Antara) - Farmers in South Kalimantan have succeeded in increasing agricultural production on swamp land (lebak) through land expansion programs and increasing production from one crop to two times in one year.
Head of South Kalimantan Agriculture Agency Fathurrahman in Banjarmasin on Thursday said the intensification and expansion of the planting area had increased the production since 2012 until now.
In 2012, South Kalimantan's rice production was around 2 million tons per year and in 2017 it was 2.4 million tons with a land area of 582 thousand hectares.
It is estimated that in 2018 rice production will again increase to 2.5 million tons from a land area of 602 thousand hectares, an increase of 20 thousand hectares compared to the previous year.
Production is expected to increase again in 2019 to 2.6 million tons with an average of 4 tons per hectare.
"Very rarely are regions in Indonesia, which increase their rice production continuously in every year," he said.
Previously, Governor Sahbirin Noor was committed to continuing to boost agricultural productivity, especially rice. Various efforts, such as conducting water management by making irrigation channels and canals, increasing the area of agricultural land and modernizing agriculture.
The governor also requested the agency continue to find new breakthroughs to increase rice production, among others by seeking rice varieties that benefit farmers.
