President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, together with Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman and Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan, paid a working visit to South Sumatra Province. This visit was in order to lead the simultaneous rice planting activities held in 14 provinces nationwide. During the event, the President took part in the rice planting process using agricultural drones. This technology allows for more efficient seed dispersal over a large area, helping to speed up the planting process and increase agricultural productivity.
‘Alhamdulillah, today I was invited by the Minister of Agriculture and the Governor of South Sumatra to see the development of land that was previously swampy and unproductive, which is said to have been a place for crocodiles. Now, 105,000 hectares of rice fields are being built here using the most modern technologies in the world. Earlier, I also tried it myself and was quite surprised, because this is the first time I control a drone,’ President Prabowo said during a rice planting activity in Pelabuhan Dalam Village, Pamulutan District, Ogan Ilir Regency, South Sumatra, Wednesday (23/4).
With Drone Technology, 1 day can plant up to 25 hectares of rice
“This drone spreads the seeds. Apparently, it can cover up to 25 hectares in one day. Previously, one hectare was done by human labour in 25 days, now 25 hectares can be completed in one day. And in the future, there will be 100,000 hectares of productive rice fields here,’ President Prabowo said.
President Prabowo said that, based on reports he received, the programme is expected to increase South Sumatra’s rice production from 3 million tonnes to 4 million tonnes per year, which means a 25 per cent increase. This concrete step will certainly not only bring Indonesia towards food self-sufficiency, but also strengthen Indonesia’s position as the world’s food barn.
‘We can already help friendly countries like Malaysia. We are not a country that begs, but a country that helps. We are very proud of this. A strong country is a country that is able to ensure its own food security,’ said President Prabowo.
The President also emphasised the importance of equal welfare for farmers as the nation’s main food producers. He expressed his appreciation to all farmers and stakeholders who have contributed greatly to the transformation of the agricultural sector.
On the same occasion, Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman revealed that in April, simultaneous planting was carried out in 160 districts across Indonesia, involving 8 governors and 3 deputy governors. This month’s planting target reaches 1.3 million hectares, with a projected yield of 7.5 million tonnes of grain, which is equivalent to 3.5-4 million tonnes of rice. This far exceeds the national monthly requirement of around 2.5 million tonnes.
‘Especially for South Sumatra, last year the production reached 2.9 million tonnes. This year, we are optimistic that we can reach 3.7 million tonnes. This is not just a target, but based on reality and positive trends in uptake and production,’ said Minister Amran.
He added that the national rice absorption until April has reached the highest level in the last 10 years, while the national rice stock has reached 3 million tonnes-the highest level in the last 20 years.
‘Under this programme, the government has also improved irrigation across Indonesia covering up to 2 million hectares of paddy fields, which will further support the success of planting and increase farmers‘ productivity,’ said Minister Amran.
Source (TRENews)