BULUNGAN A real step towards regional food sovereignty is again shown by the Bulungan Regency Government (Pemkab) in North Kalimantan Province (Kaltara).
Dalam momentum Panen Raya Padi Musim Tanam Kedua di Desa Sajau Hilir, Kecamatan Tanjung Palas Timur.
Bulungan Regent, Syarwani, officially launched a mandatory local rice absorption policy for around 5,000 State Civil Apparatus (ASN) and Government Employees with Work Agreements (P3K) within the Bulungan Regency Government.
"This policy is not just an administrative instruction, but a form of the local government's commitment to strengthening the sustainable agricultural ecosystem and ensuring the welfare of farmers," said Regent Syarwani after harvesting rice with farmer groups on Sajau Hilir's agricultural land, Wednesday, October 15.
"We want farmers to be calm in planting. Local governments are preparing a definite market. Every Bulungan ASN is required to buy rice from local farmers," he continued.
He explained, through this scheme the Bulungan Regency Government prepares a reserve fund of at least IDR 1 billion per year to ensure absorption of agricultural products, especially rice.
The distribution mechanism is also carried out through the designated BUMD, with the agreed selling price between farmer groups and the government, in order to remain competitive with the price of the public market.
This is a concrete step towards the Sovereign Bulungan Food. Farmers are no longer worried about marketing their crops. We want farmers to plant up to three times a year without fear of overstock," he said.
Syarwani said that Sajau Hilir village itself is clear evidence of the great potential for the agricultural sector in Bulungan. From field data, the productivity of wet unhulled rice reaches 35 tons per hectare, a figure that continues to increase from year to year.
"Data from the Bulungan Central Statistics Agency (BPS) even shows that the achievement of grain production in this district has reached 75 percent of the total community's rice needs, indicating food independence is getting closer," he said.
Not only does it stop at absorbing results, the Bulungan Regency Government also strengthens training and assistance for farmers. The focus is on strengthening human resources and using modern agricultural technology to improve the efficiency and quality of yields.
"We are not only talking about production, but also sustainability. This program will be the foundation for the Forward, Prosperous, and Sovereign Bulungan," he concluded.
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