JAKARTA - Soldiers from Kodim 0402/OKI invited residents of Ogan Komering Ilir Regency, South Sumatra, to plant corn on land prone to forest and land fires to prevent disasters.
The commander of Kodim 0402/OKI-OI, Lieutenant Colonel Infantry Hendra Saputra, in Kayuagung, Monday, July 25, said that corn planting was carried out in Mesuji and Sungai Menang sub-districts in the People's Corn Planting program which implemented a partnership pattern.
Corn was planted in the Koramil 402-09/Mesuji area with an area of 200 hectares and in the Koramil 402-13/Sungai Menang area with an area of 400 hectares with assistance from agricultural extension workers.
"This effort is in the context of utilizing unused land that is prone to forest fires, and at the same time increasing food security," said Lieutenant Colonel Infantry Hendra as quoted by Antara.
In addition, the use of this unused land aims to improve the welfare of the community.
He revealed that the people's corn planting program was an instruction from the Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army, General TNI Dudung Abdurahman, during the Unit Commander Apel at the Military Academy Campus in Magelang, some time ago.
The head of the OKI Regency Food Crops and Horticulture Office, Syahrul, said that currently the OKI Regency has not been separated from the threat of land-forest fires, one of the reasons is the large number of peat areas which are generally idle land.
In 2015, there was a massive forest fire in OKI Regency which scorched an area of about 200,000 hectares which resulted in a smog disaster.
Therefore, the approach taken in handling forest-land fires is currently more focused on prevention and early detection.
Utilization of unused land is a tangible form of preventing land-forest fires.
"There is a synergy between the TNI, the government and the citizens can improve food security because corn is currently one of the basic needs of the community," he said.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Pagar Dewa Gapoktan, Tarmuji, hopes that this program can be sustainable so that OKI Regency can suppress the potential of land-forest talent. Residents hope that the area will be increased so that more people will feel the benefits, he said.
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