Thirty thousand hectares of the formerly 1 million-hectare peat forest development project have been cleared this year for the government’s “food estate” program. Some have deemed this action as a risk.
By
Dionisius Reynaldo Triwibowo/Laksana Agung Saputra
·4 minutes read
BIRO PERS ISTANA
President Joko Widodo monitors the preparations for the first planting in the Food Estate, Belanti Siam Village, Pulang Pisau Regency, Central Kalimantan, Thursday (8/10/2020).
PALANGKARAYA, KOMPAS – The national food barn mega project, also called the integrated food estate program, has officially broke ground. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo toured the location of the first planting on Thursday (10/8/2020) in Belanti Siam village of Pulang Pisau regency, Central Kalimantan, to check progress on the program.
President Jokowi arrived on Thursday morning at Tjilik Riwut Airport in Palangkaraya municipality, and then traveled to Belanti Siam village by helicopter. Accompanying the President on the official trip was Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko.
"We want to ensure that the food estate [program] here starts with the planting of 168,000 hectares with rice. This year in Pulang Pisau, we will develop 10,000 hectares. In Kapuas regency, we will develop 20,000 hectares. So the total land [that will be developed] in Central Kalimantan in 2020 is 30,000 hectares,” the President said in a press statement after his visit to Pulang Pisau.
We want to ensure that the food estate [program] here starts with the planting of 168,000 hectares with rice.
Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo, according to a member of staff of the Central Kalimantan provincial administration, was also present at the location with Central Kalimantan acting governor Habib Said Ismail.
The first phase of the food estate program is to launch in 13 districts.
"We are also growing different crops, rice in the paddies and oranges along the border or [outlying] strip of the paddies. We are also growing bawang merah [shallots] and coconuts. So later, the resulting [products] will be not only rice, there will also be oranges plus shallots," said Jokowi.
President Joko Widodo gave a press statement after conducting a survey at Belanti Siam Village, Thursday (8/10/2020).
Later, irrigation canals would be used to develop fisheries using fish cages, with hopes that the incomes of local farmers will increase.
Drones and specialized tractors are being employed in planting and fertilizing at the food estate. The use of agricultural machinery in farming the estates can cover 1 to 2 hectares per day.
On Wednesday, 1,025 hectares of land was cleared for planting at the Center of Excellence (CoE) Food Estate in Belanti Siam village. The cleared land spanned REIs (blocks) 5 to 29 where 538 farming households are located.
Technology use
A number of technological applications are being used in the CoE Food Estate, including technology for managing water supplies and improving water quality. In addition, water management technology is also being used to develop lahan pasang surut, tideland that is affected by seawater and surface runoffs from tidal movements, for superior rice and horticultural crops, including vegetables and fruit, as well as fisheries and plantations.
Rawa Pasang Surut Intensif, Super dan Aktual (Raisa; Intensive, Super and Actual Tidal Wetlands) technology is being used to cultivate rice paddies by amending the soil with organic materials and planting superior rice seeds that have been produced by the Agricultural Research and Development Agency of the Agriculture Ministry, such as the Inbrida Padi Rawa (Inbred Swamp Rice) and Inbrida Padi Irigasi (Inbred Irrigation Rice) varieties Irrigation channels have been repaired at the second program site in Bentuk Jaya village of Kapuas regency.
BIRO PERS ISTANA
President Joko Widodo monitors the preparations for the first planting in the Food Estate area, Belanti Siam Village, Pulang Pisau Regency, Central Kalimantan, Thursday (8/10/2020).
Managing peatlands in cultivated areas is not an easy matter.
"However, [the site] cannot be planted yet because the land has not been prepared. It is still being sprayed [with fertilizer]. After that, the land will be cultivated by tilling the soil because clearing by burning is not allowed," said Barsuni, the head of Bentuk Jaya village. The government has readied 1,300 hectares of land in the village for the food estate program.
Commenting on the program, national coordinator Iola Abas of the Pantau Gambut peatland monitoring network said that it was not clear whether the mechanized processes that were being used were friendly to the peatland ecosystem or not. Meanwhile, all the land designated for the food estate program was located on the former site of a failed 1995 peatland development project that was now causing fires annually.
"Managing peatlands in cultivated areas is not an easy matter. Academics and other institutions have conducted many scientific studies to provide input for this project," said Iola.
The Central Kalimantan chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has made similar comments.
After a limited Cabinet meeting in Jakarta on 23 Sept., agriculture minister Syahrul said that the ministry was targeting to finish planting the 30,000-hectare rice paddy in 44 days after the President\'s visit.
