Minister Of Agriculture Amran: Pumpization Is A Quick Solution To Overcome Drought Problems

Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Andi Amran Sulaiman emphasized that the quick solution that regional heads throughout Indonesia can do to overcome agriculture, especially rice fields from drought, is to optimize pumping.

"We have to distribute this post to 50 thousand throughout Indonesia and that is the spearhead of regional heads throughout Indonesia. If 75 thousand are installed, we can overcome the next dry season, God willing," Amran said on the sidelines of attending a regional inflation control meeting with the Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Muhammad Tito Karnavian, quoted from Antara, Monday, July 15.

Amran emphasized that currently the focus of work that must be carried out is pumping as a quick solution to overcome food problems.

He said that the Ministry of Agriculture had prepared as many as 50 thousand pump units to be installed in all food production centers.

"We have a quick solution for pumping which will be our breath for the next three months," said Amran.

The Minister of Agriculture added that currently the government has targeted 500 thousand hectares of land on the island of Java which will be irrigated by pumping.

If calculated in detail, continued Amran, the 500 thousand hectares will be able to produce 2.5 million tons of unhulled rice with an average production of 5 tons per hectare.

"This 500 thousand if the production of 5 tons means we can get 2.5 million tons (equivalent to rice). This means that we can fulfill future production. Therefore, we must overcome the pumping in the future," he explained.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Muhammad Tito Karnavian asked regional heads throughout Indonesia to strengthen the pumping program as a quick solution to overcome the long drought currently run by the Ministry of Agriculture.

According to Tito, the program is an effort by the government and also a direct direction from President Jokowi and President-elect Prabowo Subianto in increasing domestic production when the world is hit by drought due to heat waves.

He emphasized that pumping needs attention from regional heads because without political will or strong collective desire, the program's concerns cannot run optimally.

"Friends of the head of the service will be delegated again so that this pump runs because the Minister is struggling to get the budget and procure the pumps," said Tito.

Tito said the problem of food, especially rice, is a very vital problem because it is closely related to political and security stability. Therefore, inevitably an increase in production must be done to meet domestic and export needs.

When it comes to food problems, said Tito, it will collaborate with security and inflation figures, as well as political stability and security, so that the government always maintains rice.

"Therefore, to increase production, among others, the most urgent at this time is to ensure that water adequacy fields ahead of this drought have started, namely pumping," he said.

Tito hopes that regional heads will immediately carry out direct checks regarding the pumps that have been given by the Ministry of Agriculture whether they have been running to meet the needs of rice fields.

He requested that existing pumps have great benefits for national production interests.

"Please follow up immediately and check directly so that the pump provided is really used, carried out and used. If you need to check directly in the field where the installation is already running," said Tito.