National Food Agency Collaborates With BRIN And The Ministry Of SOEs To Maintain Rice Stock With Superior Bibit Rice Plants

Head of NFA Arief Prasetyo. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The National Food Agency (NFA) together with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), the Ministry of SOEs and Business Actors of the Food sector have realized superior agricultural cultivation cooperation in order to maintain the supply of Government Rice Reserves (CBP) in a sustainable manner by planting the first rice in Sukamandi, Subang, West Java.

"This collaboration is marked by the initial planting of superior seed rice plants in the Demonstration Area (Dem Area) located on the land of PT Sang Hyang Seri (SHS) Sukamandi, Subang," said Head of NFA Arief Prasetyo Adi after the initial planting, as quoted in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Friday, July 7.

Arief said the demonstration of this superior seed planting area was prepared as a pilot project before a broader and massive replication of cultivation was carried out. Demonstrations are held on agricultural land with an area of around 47.25 Ha which is divided into 3 blocks with an average productivity target of at least 8 tons per Ha.

"Each block will implement different technologies and varieties, the goal is to see which cultivation patterns are the best result so that they can be applied en masse to support CBP supplies to Perum BULOG," he said.

In more detail, the first block covering an area of 16.15 ha applies the technology recommended by BRIN with Inpari 48 and Mantab varieties that have the advantage of provitity above 7 tons/ha.

The second block covering an area of 16.10 ha applies Inpari 48, Mantab and MSP 65 varieties with the recommended technology of PT Teknologi Biota which relies on organic management and productivity targets above 7 tons/ha.

Meanwhile, the third block covering an area of 15 ha will implement the technology recommended by PT MSP 65 with an advantage of a harvest period of 65 days after planting.

"The results of the cultivation of 3 different patterns of planting, technology, and varieties will be directly collaborated to absorb BULOG," he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of BRIN, Laksana Tri Handoko, said that BRIN welcomed the implementation of this first planting and was committed to helping strengthen the food sector from the upstream side, including through research and variety development.

"So we always cooperate with industrial partners, such as SOEs or other private business actors," he said.

Similarly, ID FOOD President Director Frans Marganda Tambunan said superior variety cultivation cooperation would later be collaborated with the Makmur program. If the 47 Ha program is successful, it will be potential for seed supply in the 40 thousand Ha prosperous program which is currently underway.

"That way SHS will have the potential to commercialize or support the provision of quality seeds, at least 40 thousand ha of rice plants that we are currently working on," he added.