Amid The Grand Panen, Moeldoko Reminds Farmers Of The Threat Of A Water Crisis

Moeldoko on Friday (24/3) attended the rice harvest and greeted the farmers in Lojejer Village, Wuluhan District, Jember, East Java.

JAKARTA - Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko as well as chairman of the Indonesian Farmers Harmony Association (HKTI) on Friday, March 24, attended a rice harvest event in Lojejer Village, Wuluhan District, Jember, East Java.

On this occasion, Moeldoko saw firsthand the success of farmers' harvest through agricultural intensification technology. In the event, Moeldoko also appealed to farmers to always be ready to face any situation, including the water crisis.

"We are facing the threat of a water crisis. The world will also face it. For this reason, water sources are well managed and managed, farmers are also getting along well to prepare for any crisis," said Moeldoko.

Referring to President Jokowi's message, Moeldoko said, "Intensification will cut the planting period while increasing the harvest. The welfare of farmers will improve," said Moeldoko.

Since the last year, 500 hectares of agricultural fields in Lojejer Village have been planted with super M70D rice seeds. The village community has also proven that the yield of M70D seeds reaches 9 tons per hectare. This figure is far above the average rice harvest in Indonesia which produces 5.7 tons per hectare.

Not only that, according to Sugeng Widodo, the director of M-Tani who produced M70D seeds, this seed can also be harvested at the age of 75 days. Even though the average rice age in Indonesia is still above 90 days.

Meanwhile, Acting Regional Secretary (Sekda) Kab. Jember Arief Tjahyono said that Jember Regency is the area with the highest agricultural land area number 3 in Indonesia with a total of 86,000 hectares.

However, agricultural productivity in Kab. Jember is still less than Kab. Ngawi is both in East Java. Even though the area of land in Kab. Ngawi is not as big as in Kab. Jember.

"Don't switch to organic fertilizer. Later the soil will burst like the one in Ngawi. So don't just rely on inorganic fertilizer," said Moeldoko.