Commission IV Recess To Central Sumba Finds Sad Facts, Lack Of Water Resources

House of Representatives Commission IV member Edward Tannur (batik shirt) while leading Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives in Central Sumba, NTT (Photo: Novel/Man)

JAKARTA - The House Commission IV Recess Working Visit Team visited the location of the Dryer Machine and the Rice Milling Unit (RMU) in Central Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

With this facility, it is hoped that it will be useful for farmers to process processes from grain to rice effectively and efficiently in one flow. This unit is jointly managed by a joint farmer group (Gapoktan) together named 'Pro Oli Mila Parewa Tana'.

After reviewing the Dryer and RMU machines, Indonesian House of Representatives Commission IV held a meeting with the Regional Secretary of Central Sumba and related partners to discuss food estate.

In the meeting, it was revealed that through the food estate program, agricultural production income in Central Sumba has increased from year to year.

Before the food estate program, corn production was 2.5 tons per hectare, after the food estate program corn production was approximately 6 tons per hectare. For rice production of 3 tons per hectare, after the entry of the food estate, production increased to 4.7 tons or 5 tons per hectare.

The basis for placing food barns or food estates in Central Sumba is because 34 percent of the poverty rate is in the region, where the poverty rate in NTT reaches 16 percent.

Member of Commission IV of the House of Representatives, Edward Tannur, who led the delegation, hoped that the existence of a food estate could increase people's income and reduce poverty until the food needs of the community were fulfilled.

"So it must be remembered that the food estate is to prepare national food security as well as to increase family income. Then it can eliminate starvation if the food is sufficient, the people will be healthy, the country will be strong", said Edward, in a written statement seen from the Parliament's official website, Friday, July 15.

Apart from the high poverty rate in Central Sumba, another important concern is that the people in this area still lack water.

From the submission of aspirations, farmers hope that through Indonesian House of Representatives Commission IV can help Central Sumba to overcome this problem of lack of water resources considering that water is a basic need for humans.

Edward really pays special attention to this water problem, he hopes and will try so that Central Sumba can have a water dam.

"The basic shortage is water resources, so temporarily the aspirations are absorbed by the construction of the dam, but that is to overcome temporarily. Then there must also be a permanent one, namely (building) dams because dams can accommodate a fairly large water discharge and from rainwater can also be accommodated It is possible that if there is water, it can be harvested 2 to 3 times a year, now it is difficult after the water becomes dry", concluded the politician from Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa (PKB).