Rantau, S Kalimantan (Antaranews Kalsel) - Tapin Regent HM Arifin Arpan attended a Coordination Meeting of Save Swampland Prosper Farmers (Serasi) program led by Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman, Tuesday (18/12) in the meeting room of the Provincial Government in Banjarbaru.
The Serasi program aims to optimize swampland into productive agriculture. This program is compatible to South Kalimantan, which mostly has geographical swamps.
Andi Amran Sulaiman said Serasi is a central government program and is very strategic to develop. To realize it, the Ministry of Agriculture will provide agricultural machinery assistance (Alsintan) to districts and cities in South Kalimantan to be ready to develop their raw land.
"Do not let the tools those are given are not used or idle because if you do not use it, we will pull it back," he stressed.
According to him, other regions could reflect on Tapin, which a few years ago in South Kalimantan had never known onion, now it is preparing export of shallots.
Farmers, he said, have been spoiled by the government, with such as fertilizer subsidies and assistance with agricultural tools to improve the welfare of farmers.
"At present (some of) the farmers are very prosperous and can even become a community group and above," he explained
Regent HM Arifin Arpan said Tapin had long been developing swamps, especially in Candi Laras Selatan and Candi Laras Utara.
"At present, the swamp area in Tapin is 20 thousand hectares," he said.
According to him, the Tapin Government always strives to be able to coordinate with the Central Government so that what the Central Government want can be followed up immediately.
