The total area for food estate development in Central Kalimantan Province for 2020 reaches 30 thousand hectaresJakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) confirmed that a land area, spanning 30 thousand hectares in two districts in Central Kalimantan, will be developed into a food estate.
"The total area for food estate development in Central Kalimantan Province for 2020 reaches 30 thousand hectares," President Jokowi remarked while inspecting a food estate in Pulang Pisau District, Central Kalimantan, on Thursday.
President Jokowi, in the company of Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko, Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo, and other related officials, inspected the food estate and rice cultivation, fish cages, and duck farms located in Pandih Batu Sub-District.
"In Pulang Pisau, 10 thousand hectares will be developed and 20 thousand hectares in Kapuas District will enter the construction phase in 2020," the president noted.
The head of state further explained that rice will not be the only crop to be planted in the food estate.
"As we saw here earlier, for instance, we deploy drones for fertilization, plough our fields using a floating tractor, which is a special tractor. I inquired earlier how many hectares could it be, and the tractor operator replied two hectares. This is an acceleration since what we are planning to do is on a wide expanse," he expounded.
President Jokowi highlighted the need for modern tools to attain the required speed.
"We are also here growing rice in the rice fields, while oranges are planted on the edges, whereas shallots and coconuts are grown on the edge of this other side. We are optimistic that the results would not only be rice but also oranges, coconuts, and shallots," he emphasized.
President Jokowi affirmed that on account of abundant availability of water in Pulang Pisau District, cage fish farming will also be started.
"We will see the results, maybe in three to four months, what they would look like," he remarked.
The president further stated that the total food estate area to be readied for planting rice reaches 168 thousand hectares in various regions.
On July 9, 2020, President Jokowi, along with Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and several related ministers, also paid a visit to the same location.
President Jokowi plans on readying 148 thousand hectares of irrigated land in Central Kalimantan for planting rice, while 622 thousand hectares of non-irrigated land will be developed for cassava, maize, and other crops, including livestock.
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