Mentan Tantang Fakultas Pertanian PTN di Indonesia Timur Kembangkan Lahan Pertanian
Indonesian Govt Supports the Development of Education in Faculty of Agriculture
Editor : M. Achsan Atjo
Translator : Dhelia Gani
Samarinda, Kalimantan Timur (B2B) - Menteri Pertanian RI Andi Amran Sulaiman menantang sekaligus memberi peluang kepada fakultas-fakultas pertanian pada perguruan tinggi negeri (PTN) Kawasan Timur Indonesia (KTI), untuk mengembangkan lahan pertanian seluas 1.000 hektar, pemerintah akan memberi 'modal awal' berupa benih unggul, pupuk, dan alat mesin pertanian (Alsintan) kemudian membelinya setelah panen pertama.
"Lahan pertanian 1.000 hektar disediakan oleh universitas untuk digarap oleh mahasiswa dengan masyarakat sekitar kampus, mereka wajib dibimbing oleh dosen fakultas pertanian. Untuk tahap awal, pemerintah akan membantu menyediakan benih unggul, pupuk dan Alsintan dan akan kami beli hasil panen pertama," kata Mentan Amran Sulaiman pada rapat koordinasi Konsorsium PTN-KTI di Samarinda, Provinsi Kalimantan Timur pada Selasa malam (11/10).
Menurutnya, langkah tersebut untuk menghimpun potensi yang dimiliki oleh setiap PTN untuk mendukung langkah pemerintah khususnya Kementerian Pertanian (Kementan) meningkatkan kontribusinya mendukung pencapaian swasembada pangan di wilayah KTI.
"Kalau setuju saya berikan pupuk gratis berikut benih dan Alsintan, cukup seribu hektar dulu setiap universitas dengan melibatkan semua potensi di fakultas pertanian bersama masyarakat sekitar, bisa menanam padi, jagung, kedelai dan hortikultura maka mahasiswa pun semakin mencintai bidang ilmu yang telah mereka pilih dan tekuni di kampus," kata Mentan.
Tantangan tersebut disambut baik oleh Ketua KPTN-KTI Prof Dr H Masjaya dan Gubernur Kalimantan Timur (Kaltim) Awang Faroek Ishak, para rektor, wakil rektor, dan dekan fakultas pertanian dan peternakan di wilayah KTI.
Dukungan PTN
Masjaya menyatakan dukungannya pada program Kementan membangun pertanian di Kalimantan untuk menyukseskan swasembada pangan di KTI khususnya Kalimantan, mengingat luas daratannya masih luas dan kalangan PTN semakin optimis setelah Pemerintah RI membuktikan komitmennya di bidang pangan dengan menekan impor jagung hampir 60% pada 2015.
“Kami siap mendukung pak menteri untuk mensukseskan dan siap membantu program-program yang dicanangkan terutama yang terkait ketahanan pangan di Kalimantan,” kata Masjaya.
Mentan menambahkan, kalangan akademisi dari PTN baik dari tenaga pendidik maupun mahasiswa berperan penting mendukung swasembada pangan, dengan menjadi tenaga pendamping dan penyuluh pertanian untuk para petani di Kalimantan.
Selain itu, kalangan akademisi juga dapat berperan dengan menciptakan inovasi-inovasi di bidang teknologi pertanian dan pemerintah sangat siap mensukseskan program swasembada pangan di Kalimantan.
Samarinda, East Borneo (B2B) - Indonesian Agriculture Minister, Andi Amran Sulaiman challenged the faculties of agriculture in public universities (PTN) in Eastern Indonesia (KTI) to developing agricultural land of 1000 hectares, and the government will give 'initial capital' with the superior seeds, fertilizers and agricultural machinery, then the first harvest will be purchased by the government.
"Land of 1,000 hectares provided by the university to be developed by the students and the community around the campus, and they shall be supervised by faculty lecturer agriculture. For the first phase, the government will provide superior seeds, fertilizers, agricultural mechanization, and the first harvest we were purchased," Minister Sulaiman said at the coordination meeting of Unity State University of Eastern Indonesia (KPTN-KTI) in Samarinda of East Kalimantan Province on Tuesday night (October 11).
According to him, these measures to raise the potential at each public university to support government policies, especially the Agriculture Ministry to increase the contribution campus support the achievement of food self-sufficiency in the KTI region.
"If approved, I'll give fertilizer plus seeds and agricultural machines, all for free, one thousand hectares each university by involving all the potential in the faculty of agriculture and surrounding communities, for planting rice and, corn, soybeans and horticulture, students became more loved the farm since on campus," Mr Sulaiman said.
The challenge was welcomed by the Chairman of KPTN-KTI Prof Dr H Masjaya and East Borneo Governor, Faroek Awang Ishak, the rectors, vice rectors and dean of the faculty of agriculture and livestock.
Public Universities Support
Masjaya support ministry program for agricultural development to achieve food self-sufficiency Kalimantan in KTI, as land was spacious and academicians are increasingly optimistic that the government had proved its commitment able to suppress maize imports nearly 60% in 2015.
"We are ready to support Mr Sulaiman and ready to help programs initiated mainly related to food security in Borneo," Masjaya said.
Mr. Sulaiman added, academicians from universities, both educators and students play an important role supporting the food self-sufficiency, with the become facilitators and agricultural extension to farmers in Borneo.
Furthermore, academicians can also play a role by creating innovations in agricultural technology, and the government is ready to succeed food self-sufficiency program in Borneo.
