InfoSAWIT, BANJARMASIN – The Governor of South Kalimantan, H. Muhidin, expressed full support for the food self-sufficiency program initiated by President Prabowo Subianto. One concrete step is the utilization of dry land, including areas within palm oil plantations, for the development of gogo rice.
This commitment was conveyed by Husnul Hatimah, Expert Staff for People’s Welfare and Human Resources, during the Launching of Gogo Rice Intercropping in Palm Oil Plantation Land held in Tanah Laut Regency, South Kalimantan.
Husnul emphasized the South Kalimantan Provincial Government's commitment to optimizing plantation land for food crops. "The utilization of dry land, both in core and plasma areas, will focus on crops such as gogo rice, corn, and other food plants suitable for the surrounding conditions," he stated, as quoted by InfoSAWIT from KBRN RRI on Saturday, December 28, 2024.
Husnul also encouraged the active role of regents in palm oil plantation areas to ensure land optimization and sustainability of plantations. “We hope this activity will be a starting point for achieving food self-sufficiency in South Kalimantan,” he added.
The Acting Director General of Plantations at the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia, Heru Tri Widarto, also attended the event and explained that planting gogo rice under palm trees is a follow-up to the Ministry of Agriculture's directives.
“We have been tasked with achieving a production target of 600,000 tons equivalent to unhusked rice. For this, we need to utilize around 860,000 hectares of intercropped land,” Heru stated.
Heru emphasized the importance of optimizing unused land potential, including under palm, rubber, coconut trees, and even social forests. “All available land potential must be maximized for food crops such as gogo rice and corn,” he asserted.
This initiative marks an important milestone in achieving national food security, especially amid global challenges where several countries are withholding food commodity exports. With collaboration between local governments, business actors, and communities, it is hoped that South Kalimantan can serve as a successful example of integrating the plantation sector with food self-sufficiency programs.
Utilizing dry land for food crops in palm oil plantations is a strategic step aligned with the vision of sustainability and food independence in Indonesia. (T2)
