Strengthen Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture Transform Dry Land in Enrekang

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) has accelerated the transformation of dry land in Enrekang Regency, South Sulawesi through the implementation of the Horticulture Development in Dryland Areas Project (HDDAP) as an effort to strengthen the resilience of the agricultural sector.

This step is an effort to face the threat of the El Nino phenomenon which has the potential to cause a long dry season and extreme drought.

Director of Horticulture Product Processing of the Ministry of Agriculture Freddy Lumban Gaol in a statement in Makassar, Saturday, said that the success of this program is very determined by the synergy of all stakeholders.

"Collaboration between the central government, regions, extension agents, and farmers is the main strength in driving the progress of the horticulture sector. All parties involved in HDDAP must have the same spirit to transform agriculture into a modern agri-business system," said Freddy, who is also the Project Director of HDDAP.

Furthermore, he emphasized that the HDDAP program is aimed at encouraging farmers to rise through the strengthening of the Farmer Economic Institution (KEP) as a center for integrated agribusiness management, ranging from cultivation, post-harvest, to quality-based marketing.

The Regional Secretary of Enrekang Regency, Zulkarnain Kara, emphasized that the El Nino phenomenon must be anticipated with a technology-based approach and cross-sector collaboration.

"We will face El Nino which has the potential to cause drought in various regions. Therefore, anticipatory steps through the use of agricultural technology are needed," he said.

The strengthening of the agricultural sector in Enrekang Regency is carried out through the application of agricultural technology, the development of integrated horticultural areas, and support for production facilities and infrastructure for farmers.

This effort has also been discussed in a coordination meeting involving local governments, extension workers, and farmers in Enrekang.

"We welcome the HDDAP program as a concrete solution to face these challenges," he said.

The HDDAP program in Enrekang Regency will be carried out in 10 sub-districts with a focus on the development of horticultural flagship commodities, namely red onions with 13 clusters and potatoes with 4 clusters.

The onion commodity itself is the main driver of the regional economy, with an estimated economic turnover of IDR 40 trillion per year.

The regional government assesses that the increasingly uncertain climate conditions require adaptive and measurable steps to maintain the sustainability of agricultural production, especially on dry land that is vulnerable to drought.