Govt encourages farmers to plan 'gogo' rice

Govt encourages farmers to plan 'gogo' rice

JAKARTA (JP): The government is encouraging farmers to plant
high-quality gogo rice on one million hectares of dry rice
estates over the next three to four years in a bid to increase
their incomes and to secure Indonesia's self-sufficiency in rice.

Speaking to reporters in Kotabaru, South Kalimantan, Minister
of Agriculture Sjarifudin Baharsjah was quoted by Antara
yesterday as saying that presently 150,000 hectares of dry rice
estates in various parts of the country have been planted with
the new Wayrarem variety of gogo rice, a fast-growing species
which has high resistance against diseases, high productivity and
is able to grow on less-humid soil.

Next year, he said, the area under cultivation will be
expanded to 300,000 hectares.

Sjarifudin said that due to shortages in the supply of gogo
rice, next season's gogo crop would not be consumed but would be
used as high-quality seeds, to be distributed to farmers.

His visit to South Kalimantan was made to coincide with the
harvest season of gogo rice planted during the previous dry
season under a trial program.

Sjarifudin said that, previously, gogo rice had always been
planted during the rainy season and had never harvested well when
planted during the dry season.

However, last week's harvests brought unexpectedly good
results, he said, with farmers reaping 3.38 tons of rice per
hectare.

These figures are higher than the local gogo variety crop,
which yields only two tons per hectare.

According to South Kalimantan Governor Hasan Aman, the region
enjoyed a surplus of 277,111 tons of rice last year.

He was quoted by Antara as saying on Sunday that South
Kalimantan has been developing its agricultural sector at a rate
of 2.75 percent a year, with production levels rising by 3.09
percent per year.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Azwar
Anas, who accompanied Sjarifudin, said that because gogo rice
could be grown on dry soil, the species was ideal for reducing
the risk of forest fires, which often start in or spread across
land covered with a tall-growing grass known locally as alang-
alang (imperata cylindrica).

Kalimantan forests are prone to fires and last year's fires
caused heavy smog, which covered great parts of the island and
disturbed air navigation systems.

Singapore and Malaysia also lodged complaints with Indonesia,
saying that the smoke had reached their territories and had
adversely affected the respiratory systems of their citizens.
(pwn)