InfoSAWIT, TANAH LAUT – The Ministry of Agriculture, through the Directorate General of Plantations, in collaboration with the South Kalimantan Provincial Government and Tanah Laut Regency, inaugurated a gogo rice intercropping program in palm oil plantations on Thursday (December 26). This program is expected to be a significant milestone in supporting national food self-sufficiency efforts.

The launch event, held in Jorong District, Tanah Laut Regency, was attended by the Acting Director General of Plantations at the Ministry of Agriculture, Heru Tri Widarto, along with representatives from the South Kalimantan Provincial Government and the Tanah Laut Regency Government. This initiative is a tangible implementation of the Agriculture Minister's directive to promote dryland rice cultivation as a strategic solution for food security.

In his speech, Acting Director General Heru Tri Widarto emphasized the importance of synergy among various sectors in achieving food self-sufficiency. "Intercropping gogo rice in palm oil plantations is a positive step in our efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency. We fully support this program as it not only helps increase local food production but also promotes sustainability in land management," he stated, as quoted by InfoSAWIT on Friday (December 27, 2024).

Heru also highlighted the crucial role of support from various agencies, including the military for gogo rice and the police for corn, to ensure the success of this program. With a collaborative approach, food security challenges can be addressed more effectively.

This program has ambitious national targets. Of the total target of 890,000 hectares for gogo rice, approximately 535,000 hectares are projected to be planted in an intercropping system. With an average productivity of 2 tons per hectare, this initiative is expected to contribute around 640,000 tons of rice.

In addition to supporting food security, this program also benefits the management of palm oil plantations in South Kalimantan. Intercropping gogo rice not only enhances land utilization efficiency but also provides economic added value for farmers in the region.

With the implementation of this intercropping program, South Kalimantan is expected to serve as an example for other regions in developing agricultural innovations that focus on sustainability and national food security. (T2)