Agriculture Ministry says 'Upland' project boosts shallot harvest yields in Malang

Malang, East Java (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Agriculture has said that the Upland Project programme in Tawangsari village, Pujon sub-district, Malang Regency, East Java, has managed to boost shallot farmers’ harvests from the previous 11 tonnes per hectare to 16 tonnes per hectare.

“The focus for Malang Regency is shallots, and we have just seen that production has increased quite significantly, from 11 tonnes per hectare to 16 tonnes per hectare now,” said the ministry’s Director-General of Agricultural Land and Irrigation, Hermanto, in Malang on Friday.

He explained that through the programme, the ministry has provided support for agricultural infrastructure and equipment, such as water pumps and rainwater reservoirs (embung) that can meet the irrigation needs of farmland.

“Alhamdulillah, we have just seen that some shallot farmers have already planted three times, and some even more,” he said.

According to data from the local village, before the Upland Project was introduced, the shallot planting season in the area took place twice a year, namely in October and February. Now, however, planting can also be carried out in June, coinciding with the dry season.

The total area of farmland in Tawangsari village reaches 750 hectares, of which the first harvest covered 230 hectares, the second planting saw seedlings planted on 340 hectares, and the third planting took place on approximately 80 hectares.

Meanwhile, the head of Tawangsari village, Miftahul Anwar, said that in addition to agricultural infrastructure, the village has also received assistance in the form of farm road construction (JUT).

According to him, the presence of the farm roads has not only smoothed the shallot supply chain but has also had an economic impact on porters in the village.

“Usually they would carry loads only once or twice, but since the farm roads were built, it can be up to four times,” he said.

The Deputy Regent of Malang, Lathifah Shohib, said her office would continue to develop the Upland Project so that its impact would not only be felt by farmers in Tawangsari village.

Moreover, she said, the village has also been able to develop shallot seeds that can be marketed to meet the needs of farmers in other sub-districts.

“They can be sold to communities around Pujon, such as in Ngantang,” she said.