Defisit Beras, NTT Ditantang Mentan Buka 30 Ribu Hektar Sawah Baru
Indonesian Minister Push NTT Province to Open New Paddy Fields
Editor : M. Achsan Atjo
Translator : Dhelia Gani
Manggarai Barat, NTT (B2B) - Menteri Pertanian RI, Andi Amran Sulaiman menantang Kepala Dinas Pertanian Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) untuk membuka lahan sawah seluas 30.000 hektar untuk mengatasi defisit beras hingga 115.000 ton pada 2014, sehingga tidak lagi tergantung pada pasokan beras dari Sulawesi Selatan.
"Saya harapkan petani di NTT mampu mandiri memenuhi kebutuhan daerahnya sendiri, dan saya menantang dinas pertanian provinsi untuk menyiapkan lahan sawah baru seluas 30 ribu hektar sesuai target dari Kementerian Pertanian," kata Mentan Amran Sulaiman pada Selasa (17/11) usai panen padi hibrida B9 dari Biogene Plantation di Desa Siru, Kecamatan Lembor, Kabupaten Manggarai Barat, NTT.
Tantangan tersebut dikemukakannya menanggapi pernyataan Gubernur NTT, Frans Leburaya bahwa provinsinya hingga 2014 masih defisit beras sebesar 115.000 ton, dan berharap pemerintah dapat mendukung peningkatan produksi beras di provinsinya.
Dalam kesempatan tersebut, Gubernur Frans mengapresiasi langkah pemerintah yang akan membangun tujuh bendungan di NTT agar dapat mengairi persawahan yang selama ini mengandalkan hujan sebagai sumber air.
"Sampai saat ini hujan belum turun secara merata di NTT tapi panen raya di lahan seluas 3.453 hektar dengan produksi rata-rata 10,4 ton per hektar sehingga dapat memenuhi kebutuhan pangan masyarakat di sini dengan harga terjangkau," kata Gubernur Frans.
Setelah panen padi hibrida, Mentan Amran Sulaiman menyerahkan bantuan alat mesin pertanian (Alsintan) berupa 44 unit mesin traktor roda dua, dua unit mesin traktor roda empat, dan tiga combine harvester.
"Saya dengar ada sumber air yang cukup di sini tapi airnya tidak bisa ditarik, begitu juga ada hamparan sawah yang luas tapi kekurangan air. Saya akan bantu cari solusinya untuk meningkatkan produksi padi di NTT melalui mekanisasi pertanian menuju pertanian modern," kata Mentan.
West Manggarai, Indonesia (B2B) - Office of Agriculture in East Nusa Tenggara province or NTT challenged by Indonesian Agriculture of Indonesia, Andi Amran Sulaiman for land clearing of new paddy fields of 30,000 hectares to overcome the deficit of rice to 115,000 tons in 2014, so it is no longer dependent on the supply of rice of South Sulawesi.
"I hope farmers are here able to independently meet their own needs, and I challenge the provincial agricultural office to open a new paddy fields of 30 thousand hectares on target of the ministry," said Minister Amran Sulaiman on Tuesday (17/11) after hybrid rice harvest in Siru village of Lembor district in West Manggarai, NTT.
Minister Sulaiman said it was responding to a statement of NTT Governor, Frans Leburaya that his province until 2014 deficit 115,000 tons of rice, and hoped Jakarta can support an increase rice production in NTT.
In the occasion, Governor Leburaya appreciated Jakarta will build seven dams in NTT in order to irrigate rice fields have been relying on rainfall as a source of water.
"Until now the rain has not fallen evenly NTT but harvesting rice on 3,453 hectares of land, with an average production 10.4 tonnes per hectare is expected to meet the food needs of the community with affordable prices," he said.
After the hybrid rice harvest, Minister Sulaiman gave assistance agricultural machinery such as 44 units of two-wheeled tractor engines, 2 units of four-wheel tractor engines and three combine harvester.
"I heard here available sources of water, otherwise many rice fields were shortages of water. I will help find solutions to increase rice production in NTT with the agricultural mechanization," Mr Sulaiman said.