Tue, 14 Dec 2010

Bantaeng, S Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - The corn market is still wide open and South Korea alone needs 1.6 million tons of corn per year, an official said.

To meet the big need, the Gorontalo provincial administration had established cooperation, but still cannot meet the huge volume, Bantaeng Regent HM Nurdin Abdullah said when opening Syngenta Expo in Nipa-Nipa village, Pajukukang subdistrict, Bantaeng, on Monday.

The South Sulawesi provincial administration therefore will establish cooperation with South Korea, he said.

The regent said the international cooperation will be mutually beneficial, especially when it comes to price. "We hope the price of the commodity would not drop during harvest season like what happened in the past," he said.

He hoped the the seedling companies and production means like Syngenta Indonesia plays a role in not only giving attention of boosting production and improving quality, but also with regard to product marketing to prevent the growers from constant losses.

Regent Nurdin Abdullah called on the existing storage facilities to accept the products of the farmers which had dropped in price. Under these circumstances the growers would not suffer a loss because when their commodities entered the storage facilities, they can already enjoy funds provided by BRI.

"The government bank provides 70 percent of the price. And when the price is good, the growers will receive the remainder," Nurdin Abdullah said while at the same time introducing seedling Bima 3.

The seedling had already been developed to support four harvest a year, the regent said while hoping the irrigation system runs well following the completion of the Batu Massong dam in Tompobulu subdistrict.

"The completion of the dam will hopefully be followed by the building of pipelines to support planting in the area," he added. (*)