Everything is going to be built and completed in 2015 itself."
Kupang (ANTARA News) - The East Nusa Tenggara government will repair 60 thousand hectares of tertiary irrigation canals as part of a program to optimize the water flow system to achieve food self-sufficiency in corn, rice, and soybean.

"We have decided to coordinate with all district and city governments concerned," East Nusa Tenggaras Agriculture and Plantation Agency head Anis Tay Ruba said here on Monday.

According to him, there are thousands of hectares of agricultural land owned by farmers who do not optimize the tertiary irrigation network, which is one of the important steps to improve agricultural productivity.

The government will make allocations in the local budget for the repair of 28 thousand hectares of tertiary irrigation canals and in the 2015 revised state budget for the repair of 32 thousand hectares.

"Everything is going to be built and completed in 2015 itself," Ruba added.

Repairing the primary irrigation system, which channels water from dams, and secondary irrigation system is the responsibility of the public works and housing ministry.

East Nusa Tenggara Province will provide 126 thousand hectares of agricultural land to produce 850 thousand tons of rice and 300 thousand hectares to harvest 846 thousand tons of corn.

The province has also set a target to produce 3,700 tons of soybeans, for which 3,000 hectares of agricultural land will be utilized.
(Uu.R031/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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