"In 2023, one of our focuses in developing the agriculture (sector) in West Kalimantan Province is intensifying the BSM3 program," Head of the West Kalimantan Food Crops and Horticulture Office Florentinus Anum said here on Sunday.
The program is a solution for farmers to self-sufficiently meet fertilizer needs as well as to face the current condition, he added.
He noted that problems related to fertilizers are not only problems for West Kalimantan but also problems at the national and global levels.
"Problems with fertilizers, especially chemicals (fertilizers), are global problems. The distribution of the raw materials is not smooth," he said.
He further said that subsidized fertilizers are not scarce, but the quota is low and can only meet around 20 percent of local farmers' needs.
Anum said that, with the various existing problems, the BSM3 program presents and continues to be carried out to disseminate information to farmers in the province.
"Derivatives of the BSM3 (program) are vast, such as the making of solid and liquid organic fertilizers, making biosaka (elicitor), Trichoderma, and others. Through BSM3, farmers are encouraged to make them on their own," he explained.
Meanwhile, the office provides training and dissemination regarding the making process and the materials, he continued.
He assessed that the BSM3 program also supports the sustainability of agricultural lands in West Kalimantan because by using organic fertilizers, the lands will continue to be fertile and better for long-term use.
"This movement is aimed at restoring soil function without chemicals. The potential for organic fertilizers is vast and must be maximized," he said.
Earlier last month, Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo said that the global agriculture sector is currently facing a complicated situation, with fertilizer prices skyrocketing due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Before the pandemic, the highest price of urea fertilizers stood at Rp4,123 per kilogram as of June 24, 2019. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a 242 percent increase was recorded on March 25, 2022.
"With the current availability of fertilizers, we must apply the principle that fertilizers must be distributed quickly, carefully, and accurately," Limpo said.
Related news: Jokowi demands solution to handle gas supply for fertilizer factories
Related news: National rice harvest done in stages: Minister
Translator: Dedi, Raka Adji
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
