"In response to the Gambian government`s assessment of the need to revitalize its Agricultural Rural Farmers` Training Center (ARF-TC) , the Technical Cooperation Directorate of the Foreign Affairs Ministry in cooperation with the Agriculture Training Center of the Agriculture Ministry will send two experts on agriculture and a farmer to Gambia," spokesperson of the Technical Cooperation Directorate at the Foreign Affairs Ministry Siti Nugraha Mauludiah said here Friday.
The two experts on agriculture were Bambang Edy Santoso, M.P. from the Livestock Training Agency, Batu, Malang District, East Java, and Abas Saripudin, M.P. from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Training Agency of Garut District, West Java.
The ministry would also assign an experienced farmer from Malang, Yudi Kurniawan, to join the program.
The Indonesian team would be in Gambia from September 10 until November 23, 2011 to devise training programs and provide counsel on agriculture to increase the West African country`s food productivity,
"We will specifically focus on empowerment of the farmers` society in Gambia. How to empower the established institutions in Gambia, its socio-cultural infrastructure as well as the government`s role in the agricultural sector in Gambia," agriculture expert of the Livestock Training Agency, Malang, Bambang Edy Santoso said.
The training program would among other things include introduction of the (Indonesian) legowo rice cultivation method, devising a livestock and horticultural development program, introduction of rice varieties, rice field cultivation engineering, and train locals to make simple and efficient farming tools suitable to Gambia`s land contour.
"The Legowo tice cultivation method enables wider area for the paddy roots to gain nutrition from the soil. The planting distance is wider than the standard method that will make it easier for the roots to get oxygen and carbon dioxide to maximize growth," Yudi Kurniawan said.
In the Legowo method paddy seedlings were planted in rows separated from each other by some empty space, Yudi said, adding that he had also taught this method to rice farmers in Fiji because it would produce more solid grains.
The Agriculture Rural Farmer`s Training Center (ARF-TC) was established in 1996 by The Indonesian Agriculture Society Charity Foundation (YAMPI).
(T.SDP-04/HAJM/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
