Minister Of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo Encourages Balinese Farmers To Increase Rice Production And Quality

Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Syahrul Yasin Limpo. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo encourages farmers in Bali to increase rice production and quality, so as to increase people's welfare.

"I encourage farmers to continue to improve their production and quality so that the rice produced is of high quality", said the Minister of Agriculture at the handover of organic liquid fertilizer and rice seeds in Sukawati, Gianyar Regency, Bali, last weekend, quoted from Antara, Monday, June 21.

He said the farmers in Bali are very hard working. Even the traditional subak irrigation system is a role model for farmers in the country.

"I am amazed and appreciate the irrigation system in Bali (subak). In fact, when I was the Governor of South Sulawesi, I came to Bali several times to find out about the irrigation system. In Sulawesi there are also many farmers from Bali, who with the implementation of this system, they have succeeded the economy", he said.

Minister of Agriculture Syahrul said farmers must accelerate so that the agricultural sector is more advanced. This includes using superior rice seeds and fertilizers.

"In addition to selecting superior rice seeds, fertilizer is also a necessity in the agricultural sector. The composition of fertilization with organic and inorganic fertilizers must be balanced so that the yield can be doubled from before", he said.

The Minister of Agriculture also gave an example of rice production in Japan and the Philippines. Japan can produce rice at a fairly high price of around IDR 70-90 thousand per kilogram. Likewise in the Philippines, the price of rice is around IDR. 27 thousand per kilogram.

"Farmers in Indonesia, especially Bali, must be oriented like those countries. Indonesia has fertile soil and good sunlight. Surely we can develop rice with superior varieties, thereby increasing production, as well as producing high-quality rice for domestic and export needs", said Syahrul, who was accompanied by Muhammad Hatta, Director of Fertilizers and Pesticides of the Ministry of Agriculture and Ali Jamil, Director General of Agricultural Infrastructure and Facilities of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Therefore, he said, farmers must know agricultural technology so that they become farmers who are able to improve the community's economy.

"Farming needs the knowledge of technology, so that product yields increase, as well as quality, it must be improved continuously", he said.

On that occasion, the Minister of Agriculture together with the Deputy Governor of Bali Cokorda Oka Ardhana Sukawati (Cok Ace) symbolically handed over agricultural tools, organic liquid fertilizer, and superior rice seeds to farmers in Bali.