The Chairman of the National Kontak Tani Nelayan Andalan (KTNA), HM\nYadi Sofyan Noor, has called for swift mitigation actions from all KTNA\nlevels at provincial and district\/city tiers, as well as agricultural\nextension workers. This is to address the potential drought forecasted\nby the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in the\ncoming months.<\/p>\n
These mitigation steps are deemed crucial to maintaining national\nfood production stability, particularly rice, while supporting the\nsustainable self-sufficiency programme promoted by President Prabowo\nSubianto and Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman.<\/p>\n
In his statement today, Yadi Sofyan Noor reminded the importance of\nmaximising government programmes, including the utilisation of around\n70,000 water pump units distributed since 2024 for drought-prone areas.\nHe urged regions to immediately inventory and map the locations of pumps\ndistributed across Alsintan Brigades, TNI units (Korem\/Kodim),\nagriculture services, and farmer groups.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis inventory will serve as the basis for mobilising pumps when\nwater flow decreases at the peak of the dry season. Pump locations must\nbe overlaid or mapped in conjunction with surface water sources such as\nsmall rivers, irrigation ditches, and wells around rain-fed paddy\nfields,\u201d said Sofyan. The aim is to optimally utilise surface water\nbefore it flows to the sea, especially on paddy fields with a\none-planting index (IP100).<\/p>\n
From the cultivation aspect, KTNA encourages farmers to select\ndrought-resistant rice varieties such as Inpago (upland rice),\namphibious varieties, and other adaptive varieties. Additionally,\nfarmers are reminded to apply intermittent irrigation methods.<\/p>\n
This method involves periodic water application (ponding depth of\nabout 5 cm every week) and has proven more efficient for rice growth,\nwhich does not actually require permanent flooding.<\/p>\n
KTNA also welcomes the acceleration of modernisation through\nagricultural tools and machines (Alsintan) such as two-wheeled tractors,\nrice transplanters, agricultural drones, and combine harvesters. Full\nmechanisation makes the process from land preparation to harvest faster\nand more adaptive to weather changes.<\/p>\n
Sofyan reflected on the experience of facing the 2023\u20132024 El Ni\u00f1o,\nwhere budget refocusing policies for water pumps successfully saved\naround 2.7 million hectares of rain-fed paddy fields out of a total of\n7.38 million hectares of national paddy land. \u201cWe are optimistic that if\nmitigation is carried out as early as possible in a coordinated manner,\nrice production will remain stable, and we even have the opportunity to\nincrease exports next year,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Full support from Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman, who\nregularly visits the field, further motivates farmers. Recently, Sofyan\ndiscussed with Ali Jamil, Acting Special Staff to the Minister for\nInfrastructure, to identify field issues and provide quick drought\nmitigation solutions.<\/p>\n
Quoting Minister Amran\u2019s directives, Ali Jamil emphasised the\nimportance of optimising infrastructure. \u201cDo not let water flow to the\nsea before producing carbohydrates and protein. Optimise all facilities\nso that our rice production is higher in 2025,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ktna-calls-for-drought-mitigation-optimise-water-pumps-and-strengthen-synergy-1774972316", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }