Today, I paid a working visit to look at the food estate in Central Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara.Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) inspected a food estate in Central Sumba District, East Nusa Tenggara Province, as part of his one-day working visit to the province on Tuesday.
"Today, I paid a working visit to look at the food estate in Cenral Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara," the president noted in a press statement issued following the inspection of the food estate.
Jokowi drew importance to developing the food estate in East Nusa Tenggara in view of its poverty rate and harvest time.
The president is upbeat about the food estate encouraging rice farmers in Central Sumba to harvest twice a year.
"As per data I have received, 34 percent of the residents in Central Sumba live in poverty and farmers harvest rice only once a year. We want them to harvest rice twice a year and corn or soybean once a year," he affirmed.
Jokowi admitted to the persistent water problem faced in East Nusa Tenggara. To address the issue of water shortage, artesian wells and water reservoirs have been built to irrigate rice fields.
The regional government is optimistic that the number of artesian wells and water reservoirs would be increased, he affirmed.
To this end, the head of state has instructed the minister of public works and people's housing to explore the possibility of building more dams and water reservoirs in the province.
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Translator: Rangga Pandu AJ/Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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