Ministry Of Agriculture Maximizes Irrigation Modernization For Food Swasembada

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Agriculture continues to maximize irrigation modernization in various regions to achieve the target of food self-sufficiency in Indonesia.

"The modernization of strategic irrigation and rehabilitation of irrigation is very important to implement," said Head of the Extension and Development Agency Dedi Nursyamsi as quoted by ANTARA, Sunday, March 31.

He explained, the keyword is the irrigation service strategy, in the sense that the irrigation must be able to increase the Plant Index (IP).

"Initially it was once to twice, twice to three times and increased plant productivity," he said.

This is prioritized to increase rice/rice production and other commodities whose positions are in irrigation areas.

In addition, the approach taken includes Climate Smart Agriculture or CSA, which is the implementation of technology with low input but can boost productivity and the risk of the environment is very minimal.

Meanwhile, the acting Directorate General of Agricultural Infrastructure and Facilities of the Ministry of Agriculture, Dyah Susilokarti, said that the policy direction for the Irrigation Network Development for 2020-2024 is to fulfill and increase the availability of water on rice fields with irrigation infrastructure development, which has an impact on increasing food IP and productivity.

Agriculture irrigation activities for the acceleration of planting and improvement of the planting index include pumping irrigation, namely irrigation systems using water pumps that distribute through open and closed channels.

"Meanwhile, pipe irrigation is a gravity irrigation system that distributes it using a pipe or tube," he explained.

Dyah added that reservoirs function to hold back and accommodate water flows sourced from springs, rainfall, rivers and other water sources by raising the water face and rehabilitating irrigation networks.

This irrigation network functions as an infrastructure for irrigation water services in tertiary plots consisting of tertiary channels, quarter channels and disposal channels, tertiary boxes, quarter boxes and complementary buildings.

Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman stated that he had coordinated with the Ministry of PUPR to maximize agricultural waters in a number of areas because water is the main need to increase production when Indonesia and the world face extreme weather due to El Nino's long natural phenomenon.