Facing The Rainy Season Early, Here's The Ministry Of Agriculture's Strategy To Secure The Agricultural Sector

Deputy Minister of Agriculture Harvick Hasnul Qolbi (Photo: Screenshot of the Indonesian House of Representatives Youtube)

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Agriculture (Wamentan) Harvick Hasnul Qolbi said that he had prepared a number of strategic steps to secure the agricultural sector in the midst of the rainy season which arrived earlier this September.

“Heavy rainfall often results in floods and other natural disasters. For that, the Ministry of Agriculture is taking anticipatory steps,” he said while attending a working meeting with Commission IV of the DPR RI at the Senayan Parliament Complex, Jakarta.

First, said Harvick, is mapping flood-prone areas. Second, an early warning system and routine monitoring of climate information from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

Third, the preparation of seed assistance for farmers. Fourth, the preparation of the La Nina Brigade movement. Fifth, preparing in-out pumping of rice fields and rehabilitation of irrigation networks.

Sixth, socialization of puddle resistant seeds. Seventh, socialization of Farmer Business Insurance in (AUTP), and eighth is the preparation of post-harvest optimization by using drying.

"In addition to preparing for crop security in the field, the Ministry of Agriculture also regularly monitors the availability of staple foods on a weekly basis," he said.

As for the second week of September 2021, Harvick revealed that the national rice stock reached 7.62 million tons. Then 2.30 million tons of corn, 16,000 tons of large chili, 17,000 tons of cayenne pepper, 35,000 tons of shallots, and other commodities are claimed to be in surplus and safe conditions.

However, continued Harvick, there are several provinces that experience a deficit for a number of commodities, such as corn, large chilies and cayenne pepper, shallots, chicken eggs and chicken meat.

"In order to ensure the availability of food evenly throughout Indonesia, the Ministry of Agriculture has prepared transportation assistance for shipping goods from surplus areas to deficit areas," he said.

For information, for the 2022 period, the government targets production of 22.5 million tons of rice, 20.1 million tons, 200,000 tons of soybeans, 1.64 million tons of shallots, 2.87 million tons of chili, and 91,000 tons of garlic.

Then, 780,000 tons of cocoa, 795,000 tons of coffee, 2.3 million tons of sugar cane, 2.86 million tons of coconut, and 444.550 tons of beef/buffalo.

For information, the Ministry of Agriculture's budget ceiling for the 2021 period is Rp. 15.8 trillion, which is distributed to the 11 echelon I. As for the 2022 budget plan, it is known to be Rp. 14.4 trillion.