While Wearing Ulos In The Head, Puan Sows Rice Seeds In Balige Stimulates A Two-Type Tanam-Paren Program

Speaker of the House of Representatives Puan Maharani (Photo Doc of the DPR)

JAKARTA - The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, started her second working day in North Sumatra by sowing rice seeds in Toba Regency. Rice seed breeding is carried out at the same time to inaugurate the Two-Twice Panen Plants Program, encouraging food security in Indonesia.

Puan's presence in Toba Regency, Friday, September 2, received an extraordinary response from residents. Along the way to the location, people welcomed Puan's arrival while singing.

"Mbak Puan, who has it, Mbak Puan, who has it, who has it for all of us," residents joked.

There were also PUMA volunteers (Puan Maharani) who lined up on the side of the road while shouting Puan President's chants.

Puan, who came accompanied by the Chairman of Commission V of the DPR Lasarus and the Deputy Chairman of Commission X of the House of Representatives, Agustina Wilujeng Pramestuti, carried out rice seeds in Baruara Village, Balige District, Toba.

Wearing the headgear ulos, Puan sows seeds with 10 local farmers. Every now and then there are female farmers who help Puan repair her ulos. This seed smelting is a sign of the start of the program for planting twice as much as two harvests.

After spreading rice seeds, Puan then moved to a corn field about 1 km from rice fields. He planted corn while talking to the farmers who accompanied him. The plan is that there are 10 thousand hectares of land that will be planted with corn at that location.

Puan then talked with residents and farmers after planting corn.

Pangan is a matter of the life of a nation's death. So Indonesian food security is a must," said Puan in her speech.

The first woman who served as Chair of the Indonesian House of Representatives said that food security should not only be just a lip sweetener. Therefore, innovation must be presented in the agricultural sector to increase production. Like the 2 Kali Tanam program, 2 harvest River which we set out today," he said. Usually we follow the old cycle. The name harvest is once a year, then we have. Now we are making innovations, we make breakthroughs with 2 Kali Tanam, 2 Panen Rivers," added Puan.

That way, according to the former Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, agricultural productivity will increase. The hope, said Puan, is that farmers' entry and welfare will also increase.

"Given the importance of the agricultural sector in improving the welfare of the Indonesian people, it has become the concern of the Indonesian House of Representatives about several problems that are still being faced in this sector," he said.

Puan revealed that she has accommodated many problems faced by farmers, ranging from seeds, fertilizers, tools, sales, and so on. He got this after traveling to various regions in Indonesia.

"The DPR RI consistently absorbs the aspirations of farmers in various regions, which we then strive for in various working meetings with the Government in the DPR RI building within the scope of the legislative, supervisory, and budget function of the DPR RI," said Puan. "However, of course, the DPR-RI cannot work alone, it is necessary to work together with the Regional Government, the provincial level, the Regency/City level if we want to realize prosperity, realize Indonesia's food security," continued Puan.

Puan then advised that the Two Kali-Kali Tanam program should continue to be monitored for its stages. Don't declare it and then leave it behind, it must be inflamed after it is launched. Hopefully the two-Twice harvests program will be useful for farmers, the people and Indonesia," said Puan.

The Regent of Toba, Poltak Sitorus, who accompanied Puan in particular asked the DPR to help his region overcome the scarcity of fertilizers. He also hopes that there will be support for organic fertilizer programs rather than chemical fertilizers.

"When it comes to organic fertilizer, we'll try to think about it later so that in Tapanuli Raya there is an organic fertilizer processing factory," said Puan.

The legislator from the Central Java V electoral district then highlighted the problem of planting corn in Toba which is still being done manually. While talking to Puan, local farmers also said they had never planted corn with machines.

I've planted corn in Papua with the president, but use a (harvest) machine. If it's manual here, you have to squat," said Puan.

"Actually, ma'am, but there is no tool," said one farmer.

Puan promised to help procure corn planting machines in Toba.

A farmer who spoke with Puan named Mariani Hutabarat then asked for the boots that Puan was wearing. Finally, Puan gave the shoes as a gift.

On the other hand, the Regent of Toba Poltak Sitorus complained about the 190 km provincial road which was 70 percent damaged. He hopes that the DPR can help so that there will be repairs to damaged roads in Toba.

"Because this triggers inflation, prices go up because transportation is difficult," said the Poltak Regent.