InfoSAWIT, BANJARBARU – Governor of South Kalimantan, Sahbirin Noor and Ministry of Agriculture through General Directorate of Plantation, did quick action to follow up the instruction of Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman. They united to maintain food security stability by implementing food and plantation plants namely palm oil, through Program Kelapa Sawit Tumpang Sari dengan Tanaman Pangan (Kesatria) Paddy Gogo.
The first planting of Kesatria Program was in Regency of Tanah Laut, Friday, 8 March 2024. Sahbirin Noor in his speech asked for the collaboration from heads of agencies in province to regency/city levels to succeed the program. The goal would be about to encourage food plant production namely paddy gogo and corn among palm oil trees though rice supply in the province is surplus.
“As the gate of logistic in Kalimantan, food production including paddy should always be increased, not only for South Kalimantan but also for other regions in Indonesia,” he said, as InfoSAWIT quoted from the official page of South Kalimantan Province, Sunday (10/3/2024).
He hoped the implementation of Kesatria program in the province would also be having the same success in SISKA KU INTIP program – as the innovative program of the province to realize cow self-sufficiency.
The first planting of Kesatria was in smallholders replanting program (SRP) of Kelompok Tani Bumi Tani in Village of Tanjung, Sub district of Bajuin, Regency of Tanah Laut. Director of Palm Oil Seed Group and Various Palm; official from General Directorate of Plantation Ministry of Agriculture, Ratna Rubandia and the team also attended.
Regent in duty of Tanah Laut, Syamsir Rahman also supported and thanked General Directorate of Plantation, General Directorate of Food Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, Governor of South Kalimantan for having the regency as the location to develop Kesatria program. That was the first thing in the province or even in Kalimantan Island.
Head of Plantation and Livestock Agency, South Kalimantan, Suparmi told that planting paddy gogo in palm oil plantations would be one strategy of the (regional) government to escalate rice production to fulfill the needs of the people of Indonesia. the program would be in yet productive plantations or when having replanting program that the fund was from Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (PFMA).
“The goal would be about to escalate palm oil production and productivity, develop human resources to realize sustainable palm oil development in South Kalimantan,” Suparmi said.
He continued Kesatria program is the collaboration among General Directorate of Plantation, General Directorate of Food Plant, South Kalimantan Province, Regency of Tanah Laut and other related stakeholders. “It is hoped the program would escalate planters’ economy, production, and reinforce paddy production in national level through SRP acceleration,” he said.
It showed the same commitment between central and regional government to face food security challenge. Food and plantation plant – integration program would deliver hopes to reinforce food security in the region and positively contribute to realize food self-sufficiency in national scale. (T2)
