Jakarta, July 27 (Antara) - Indonesia has been importing maize in the past to meet the domestic need, though this year, it has stopped the imports of the commodity and is planning to become a major exporter in future.
As part of its efforts to increase maize production and meet its goal to export the commodity in future, Indonesia is expanding the acreage of its maize plantations to 6.4 million hectares while boosting an inter-crop planting system on three million hectares of rubber and other plantations, such as palm oil plantations.
Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture will continue to optimize assistance for the agricultural sector by channeling various aid packages to farmer groups to support food self-sufficiency.
These efforts encompass the distribution of assistance in the form of seeds, agricultural equipment, and production facilities. It also involves stakeholders and directives by the Indonesian Defence Forces, police, state-owned forest firm Perum Perhutani, and state plantation company PTPN, among others.
"We continue to increase the annual production of corn and other food commodities," Director General of Plantation of the Ministry of Agriculture Bambang stated during a maiden maize harvest in Bulakan Village, Gunungkencana District, Lebak District, Banten, on Wednesday.
The government is committed to realizing Indonesia's food self-sufficiency by allocating substantial funds to the agricultural sector. Around Rp600 thousand billion has been set aside to the agriculture sector to support self-sufficiency in food, including in maize.
Moreover, the government has stopped the imports of maize, so it will offer a viable opportunity to farmers to spur and motivate themselves to increase maize production.
In 2016, maize production had reached 23.5 million tons and is targeted to be between 24.5 and 25.2 million tons by the end of 2017, involving 67 million farmer families.
Indonesia's maize production has been increasing over the past several years. In 2014, production had reached 19.03 million tons, up 2.81 percent from 18.5 million tons in 2013.
In 2015, maize production was recorded at about 20.6 million tons, 8.25 percent more than that in 2014.
Increased maize production will ascertain that Indonesia will become the largest exporter of the commodity in the world in 2020.
"We continue to work hard to increase corn production and the welfare of the farmer community," Bambang noted.
According to Planning Bureau Chief of the Agriculture Ministry Kasdi Subagyo, Indonesia is targeting to become self-sufficient in maize in 2018 and stop the imports of the commodity. However, to stop maize imports this year, the government has to achieve a production of about 25.2 million tons.
"We are in a position to become a maize barn in 2018 but will expedite efforts to achieve the target in 2017 itself. We are optimistic since production in 2016 had touched 23.2 million tons," Subagyo was quoted as saying by detikFinance online news portal recently.
The increase in maize production is inseparable from the expansion of its plantations in several corn producing regions. The target is to add three million hectares of new plantations by the end of 2017.
On paper, about three million hectares of additional plantations should boost production by about 15 million tons.
"We will raise the acreage by three million hectares this year, of which one million hectares will be an integrated plantation of palm oil and rubber plants. If one hectare produces 5.3 tons, there will be additional maize production of 15 million tons," Subagyo informed detikFinance.
This year, the government plans to open three million hectares of new maize plantations of which about one million hectares will be developed on palm oil plantations through the inter-crop plantation system.
With the additional three million hectares of new maize cultivation areas, the country's plantation acreage will increase to 6.2 million hectares.
"For this year, President Joko Widodo has given us a target to plant maize in one million hectares of palm oil plantations," Dedi Junaedi, director general of Processing and Marketing of Plantation Products of the Agriculture Ministry, stated in Kuala Pembuang, Central Kalimantan, on Sunday (Mar 19).
Last March, Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman had clarified that the farmers do not need to harbor concerns about marketing their produce, as it will be purchased by the state-owned logistics board (Bulog).
Hence, various regions, such as the provinces of Bengkulu, South Kalimantan, and Central Kalimantan, have been actively cultivating maize, including the intercropping of maize with palm oil.
According to Director General of Plantation of the Ministry of Agriculture Bambang, his ministry will encourage regional heads to continue developing maize farming to support food sovereignty and the farmers' income.
He made the statement during a maiden maize harvest in Bulakan Village, Gunungkencana District, Lebak District, on Wednesday. The initial harvest of maize in Bulakan Village, Gunungkencana District, covers 300 hectares, and the area is capable of producing a first yield of 1,500 tons.
The maize produce will be used by poultry factory PT Popan Balaraja Tangerang, so that it contributes to the income of the local communities. The success in boosting corn production will certainly transform Indonesia into the largest producer of the commodity in the world in future.
"We urge the farmers to work hard to ensure self-sufficiency in maize production," he emphasized.
In Banten, he said that in 2017, the Ministry of Agriculture is targeting to cultivate maize through a special effort program (upsus) on 187 thousand hectares of land and is expected to meet the domestic market demand. ***3*** (A014/INE/B003) EDITED BY INE
(T.A014/A/BESSR/Bustanuddin) 27-07-2017 17:46:3 |
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