East Java Governor Harvests Reog Variety Corn In Ponorogo

East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa harvested 234 Reog corn from the innovation of the Ponorogo community in Ponorogo, East Java, Friday (3/3/2023). ANTARA/HO-Prokopim East Java Provincial Government

PONOROGO - Governor of East Java Khofifah Indar Parawansa together with Ponorogo Regent Sugiri Sancoko harvested hybrid corn of the TKS 234 or Reog 234 variety in Babadan District, Ponorogo Regency, East Java.

The Reog 234 variety has a number of advantages both in terms of production and its resistance to extreme weather changes. Plus, this variety can be grown in a variety of regional structures, both lowlands, and highlands.

Corn Reog 234 can produce an average of 10.2 tons per hectare and can even reach 12.4 tons per hectare.

"Thank you for all the initiative, innovation, and creativity of the people of Ponorogo who have found good quality corn seeds and have extraordinary resistance to weather changes. Moreover, it is predicted that this year will have a long rainy season and next year there will be a long dry season," said Khofifah when harvesting corn, as reported by ANTARA, Friday, March 3.

In addition, in terms of nutritional content, the TKS 234 or Reog 234 variety also has 85.43 percent carbohydrates, 9.10 percent protein, and 3.95 percent fat.

Governor Khofifah asked for this variety to immediately register its intellectual property rights (IPR) at the Directorate General of Intellectual Property, Ministry of Law and Human Rights. This is intended so that the Reog variety can obtain a patent as a work of the Ponorogo community.

Besides that, when these seeds are marketed to other regions, the name does not change.

"Just like Reog Ponorogo, if these seeds are marketed to other areas, they want to be planted in Medan, in Maluku, in NTT everywhere, then the name will still be hybrid corn variety Reog 234. Just like the Reog Ponorogo art, it can be played anywhere throughout Indonesia, the name is still Reog Ponorogo," she said.

Based on BPS data, East Java corn production in 2021 will reach 6.662 million tons of PPK from a harvested area of ​​1.230 million ha with an average productivity of 54.16 quintals/hectare. East Java's corn production contributed 26.34 percent to the national level, which also placed East Java as the highest corn-producing province in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, based on temporary BPS data, corn production in East Java in 2022 is predicted to reach 7.319 million tons of PPK from a harvested area of ​​1.326 million hectares.

"So the data that is fixed is still in 2021, because BPS officially plans to release data on corn production for 2022 this March," she said.

According to Khofifah, the demand for and market for corn production is very high, both for animal feed and for use in the household food and beverage product industry.

In the animal feed sector, the main market for animal feed in East Java is broiler and layer chicken farms, of which 50 percent of the chicken feed component is corn.

Cumulatively, East Java's need for corn is 4.417 million tons, for animal feed, it is 3.365 million tons, for the non-feed industry is 0.962 million tons, and for household consumption, it is 90,549 tons.

The animal feed industry and the availability of raw materials in the form of corn are interrelated.

The type of animal feed industry in East Java is divided into two. First, a small-scale independent animal feed industry that is used to meet local livestock and poultry feed needs. Second, the medium and large animal feed industry (manufacturing).

With the Reog 234 variety, Khofifah is optimistic that East Java corn productivity will increase. Corn variety Reog 234 is believed to be the pride and excellence of East Java agriculture.

"This variety will be the pride of not only the people of Ponorogo, but also the people of East Java. After this, it is very likely that many guests from outside East Java will come to study and take seeds from this Reog 234 variety," she said.

Meanwhile, Ponorogo Regent Sugiri Sancoko said that the hybrid corn variety TKS 234 or Reog 234 produced by Ponorogo people continues to increase.

According to him, this variety has a shorter planting period than other varieties, but the price is much cheaper, thus providing added value to farmers.

"This is originally made by the sons of Ponorogo, hopefully in the future, our mission, Ponorogo will not only be a corn-producing area, but also a corn-seed-producing area," he said.