Jatiluhur District Targeted to Contribute 20 Percent of National Rice Production For Food Self-Sufficiency

Photo: Doc. Ministry of Public Works

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Public Works (PU) said that the Jatiluhur Irrigation Area (DI) in Karawang can irrigate 237,790 hectares of land in West Java.

PU Minister Dody Hanggodo said that the area of ​​land irrigated by the Jatiluhur DI is the same as contributing 10 percent to national rice production or around 3 million tons per year.

"We are focusing on this area on how to increase it from 10 percent to 11 percent or 20 percent, so that the President's (Prabowo Subianto) big target for food self-sufficiency can be realized as soon as possible," said Dody as quoted from his written statement, Monday, January 6.

Dody said that West Java is one of the regions that contributes the largest national rice production.

"That's why we have to make sure that rice production is not disrupted, if possible it will be better from year to year," he said.

Meanwhile, the Director General of Water Resources of the Ministry of Public Works Bob Arthur Lombogia explained that the rehabilitated North Tarum Main Canal is 50,008 meters long out of a total length of 199,330 meters. This canal irrigates an area of ​​4,145 hectares.

"This rehabilitation increases the planting area by 1,285 hectares so that it can increase the planting index (IP) from 179 percent to 210 percent. The harvest yield which was originally 4-5 tons per hectare can increase to 5-6 per hectare," he said.