Popularized By Ganjar Pranowo, This Is Srinuk Rice For Local Agriculture Products

Photo via Central Java Provincial Government

KLATEN - Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo once popularized Srinuk rice, which is a leading agricultural product of Klaten Regency.

Srinuk rice farmer Harjono from Kepanjen Village, Delanggu District, Klaten, assessed that Ganjar's arrival was his place to check Srinuk rice, as a form of government concern for farmers.

"The government pays attention to food security. We as farmers hope that what we are doing can be seen by the government," said Harjono, met at the Srinuk rice mill in his village, Thursday, October 6.

Harjono explained that the Srinuk rice promoted by Ganjar is a type of Rojole that has been engineered by the Klaten Regency Government and the National Nuclear Energy Agency (Batan). As a result, the Srinuk type of rice product can have several advantages, compared to the previous Rojole rice.

For example, Rojole has an age of up to five months, now Srinuk is only about 110 days or about three months more. Not only that, both have other differences. Like the Rojole plant which is higher than the Srinuk.

This condition makes Rojole have more potential to be eaten by birds and catch the wind. While Srinuk can be safer because it is short so it is safe from birds and does not collapse.

He added that Srinuk also smells good and has almost the highest level is the same as Rojole. The rice flow is round, but rather short compared to Rojole. Klaten farmers are also more profitable to plant Srinuk.

If Srinuk harvests, farmers like himself can earn Rp. 6 million per hectare. Meanwhile, other varieties, the income is around Rp. 5 million per hectare.

The seller of the Srinuk rice seeds, Sumiyem, admitted that the seeds of Srinuk did have good quality. The seeds are super and big.

The most (bit), the best. Bibit Srinuk sae (good), the rice is delicious, the rice is the best. Farmers all like it, explained Sumiyem.

The Klaten Regency Government through the Regional Development Planning, Research and Development Agency (Bappedalitbang) of Klaten Regency as the party who participated in researching Srinuk rice, intensely tried to make this rice better.

Kabid Litbang Bappedalitbang Kabupaten Klaten Muhammad Umar Said mengatakan, penelitian Srinuk ini dibantu Batan, berawal dari kekhawatiran beras asal Klaten, Rojole, yang tidak banyak ditanamani petani. Sebab, masa tanamnya yang panjang yaitu hampir enam bulan. Padahal, beras jenis lain 3-4 bulan saja, dan batang beras Rojole yang terlalu panjang karena terharga makan makan bird.

"Glazy farmers (planting Rojole), including (because) they are prone to collapse being attacked by wind and birds, so they are not worth it (like) for farmers, they (Rojole) are about to be abandoned," he explained.

He conveyed that Bappedalitbang cooperated with Batan to find a solution to engineer rice types, so that they could be shorter so that they could harvest quickly, and the stems were short. That way, more attractive to farmers and Klaten rice can compete again.

Umar revealed that the research process started in 2013 at the Batan office, Jakarta. Starting from laboratory tests, until 2016 laboratory-scale research was completed. Followed by a planting test in Gempol Karanganom Klaten Village. It was only in 2019 that the district government finally believed there were three varieties that were worthy of being proposed to the Ministry of Agriculture. He was short for about 110 to 115 days, the stem was shorter, but the taste, puren, fragrant, and more resistant to the old Rojole.

We named Rojole Srinuk, Rojole Srinar, and Rojole Sriten. Srinar is from the words 'Dewi Sri Dewi Dewi Padi and 'Nar' it shines. Srinuk is Dewi Sri Dewi Padi with 'nuk' which is really delicious or cute. Inuk itself is the nuclear innovation of Klaten, Sriten is Dewi Sri Klaten. But during the release trial at the Ministry of Agriculture, Sriten and Srinuk tend to be somewhat similar. So what was passed must be one of them. What was passed was not bad quality and identical to Srinuk," he said.