South Kalimantan Provincial Government and Ministry of Agriculture Agree to Accelerate Modern Farming

The Provincial Government of South Kalimantan and the Ministry of Agriculture, through the South Kalimantan Centre for the Implementation of Agricultural Modernisation, have agreed to accelerate modern farming to increase rice production. Syamsir Rahman, Head of the South Kalimantan Food Security and Agriculture Service, stated during a socialisation event for the expansion of planting under the Modern Agriculture–Advanced Agricultural System (PM-AAS) in Banjarbaru on Wednesday that the programme’s success requires collaboration, integrity, and sound risk mitigation. He noted that with a planting expansion target of 16,040 hectares as part of the ministry’s national one-million-hectare planting expansion programme, South Kalimantan is working hard to realise this goal. The agreed steps to accelerate the implementation of PM-AAS include identifying potential land areas, ensuring seed and irrigation readiness, and developing pilot sites that adopt best practices from Barito Kuala and Tabalong Regencies. These measures are considered crucial capital for South Kalimantan to meet the planting expansion target while simultaneously increasing rice production, strengthening food security, and supporting national food self-sufficiency. Syamsir also revealed that South Kalimantan’s rice production reached over 1.2 million tonnes in 2025, with a harvested area of 290,332 hectares. For 2026, production is being pushed higher through a programme to create 30,000 hectares of new paddy fields, including 16,040 hectares via the PM-AAS programme. Wahida Annisa Yusuf, Acting Head of the South Kalimantan BRMP, explained that PM-AAS applies a direct seeding method using a drum seeder, supported by superior seeds, agricultural machinery, and infrastructure from the Ministry of Agriculture to enhance efficiency and productivity. She stressed the importance of farmer readiness, extension worker assistance, water management, and pest control as keys to the programme’s success. Meanwhile, Zainul Arifin, Head of the South Kalimantan BPSB-TPH, expressed readiness to provide quality seeds according to farmers’ needs.