The East Kalimantan Pupuk Agrosolution Program Drives Farmer Productivity, In Ngantru Village, Malang Panen Besar, 33.9 Tons Per Hectare

Photo: Doc. Antara/Popuk Indonesia

JAKARTA - PT Pupuk Kalimantan Timur (Pupuk Kaltim) carried out the second harvest of the agrosolution program with potato productivity in the Gemah Ripah II Farmers Group in Ngantru Village, Ngantang District, Malang Regency, East Java. The harvest this time reached 33.9 tons per ha.

SEVP Bussines Support Pupuk Kaltim Meizar Effendi revealed that the harvest of the agrosolution program in Ngantru Village is the second in the mentoring program carried out by Pupuk Kaltim for local farmers.

"The agrosolution program was resumed this year and the results were much more significant at 33.9 tons, or double the previous assistance. This is a very good achievement, as well as proving that farmers are able to be productive in optimizing their land," Meizar said in a statement quoted by Antara, Monday, September 26.

In the first agrosolution program assistance in 2021, it has succeeded in increasing average productivity by 19 tons per ha from before assistance, which was only 15 tons per ha. The success of the first phase of the program also showed an increase in agricultural productivity by 25 percent, involving 110 farmers with a total land of 124.5 Ha.

Meizar said the agrosolution program is an effort by the Government together with SOEs to provide assistance to farmers to increase the productivity of farmers' products and income through the use of non-subsidized agricultural input.

This program has proven to be able to encourage the productivity of agricultural products such as rice, cocoa, palm oil, sugar cane and corn in various regions, which are also accompanied by increased profits from farmers.

"So can this harvest, the potential for farmers' income. If one kilogram of potato is priced at Rp7,700, it is found that Rp261 million is found for 33.9 tons of proceeds. Reduced capital of Rp90 million, then farmers' profits reach Rp170 million. This is one of Pupuk Kaltim's efforts to encourage agricultural productivity as well as the welfare of farmers in Indonesia," said Meizar.

On that occasion, Pelangi Agrosolution Village was also inaugurated in Ngantru Village, which was conceptualized as a pilot area for potato farming in Malang Regency. Through this idea, farmer groups from various other regions in East Java can learn to develop potato productivity, as well as join the agrosolution program.

Meizar hopes that all relevant stakeholders will continue to provide support for this program, so that the productivity of agricultural products and the welfare of farmers will increase in maintaining national food security.

"In addition to improving the welfare of farmers, the agrosolution program is also initiated to create independent farmers so that in the future it will no longer depend on subsidized fertilizers," said Meizar.

The head of the Gemah Ripah II Farmers Group, Imam, said that the agrosolution program provides fresh air for potato farmers in Ngantru Village in increasing productivity and marketing potential, including the various conveniences of the agri input obtained, is one of the factors driving the increase in crop yields from before.

He hopes that this program can continue to be expanded in Ngantang District so that the potential for Malang Regency potatoes can increase and have an impact on the welfare of farmers.

"We hope that this program can be implemented again, so that there are appropriate agricultural operational standards to be applied sustainably from several trials. So that the results that are now obtained can be maintained, even further increased because assistance like this is very much needed by farmers, to encourage productivity of produce in each land," said Imam.