Special measure planned to boost rice production<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Agriculture Sjarifudin Baharsjah
\nsaid here yesterday that the government will take a special
\nmeasure to minimize losses in rice production caused by the
\nprolonged drought.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters following a meeting with President
\nSoeharto, Sjarifudin said that the measure would include speeding
\nup the rice plantation in a bid to provide sufficient rice supply
\nearly next year.<\/p>\n
"The measure is aimed at preparing sizable rice fields for
\nharvest in January," he said.<\/p>\n
Sjarifudin said that the measure, which will also include the
\nuse of underground water in dried areas, will be introduced in
\nWest, Central and East Java.<\/p>\n
The measure will be part of the government's program to
\nprovide urea tablets in irrigated rice fields covering around 1.3
\nmillion hectares in Java's 25 regencies in the coming plantation
\nseason in attempt to optimize the rice harvest yields.<\/p>\n
"If the urea tablets are timely used, the rice production can
\nbe increased by 600 kilograms to one ton per hectare," he said.<\/p>\n
Sjarifudin said the President wanted all institutions involved
\nin the urea tablet project such as fertilizer producers, the
\nMinistry of Industry, the Ministry of Finance and cooperatives to
\nclosely cooperate in the supply of tablets.<\/p>\n
He said that the government will provide special credit
\nfacilities to help farmers partly finance the urea tablets, which
\nwill be sold through village cooperatives.<\/p>\n
The minister estimated that the drought will cause a drop in
\nthe country's rice production by around four percent to 46.2
\nmillion tons of unhusked rice or equivalent to around 30 million
\ntons of husked rice.<\/p>\n
Minister\/State Secretary Moerdiono said earlier that the
\ndrought would slash the country's husked rice production to
\naround 27.7 million tons, slightly above the country's total
\nconsumption of around 26.7 million tons of husked rice.<\/p>\n
Despite the self-sufficiency, Indonesia still has to import
\nrice to strengthen the supply. Indonesia recently imported about
\n400,000 tons of rice as the repayment of rice loans to Vietnam
\nand several other neighboring countries.<\/p>\n
Sjarifudin estimated that the use of urea tablets and the
\nexpansion of rice fields will raise the rice production by around
\nsix percent next year.(hen)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/special-measure-planned-to-boost-rice-production-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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