PALMOILMAGAZINE, WAJO – The Ministry of Agriculture, through the Directorate General of Plantations, has initiated the first planting of intercropped Paddy Rice at the Masseddi I Farmer Group Plantation in Kampiri Village, Pammana District, Wajo Regency, South Sulawesi. This initiative aims to enhance rice production to support national food self-sufficiency.
The event, held on Saturday (18/01/2025), was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Provincial Office of Agricultural, Horticultural, and Plantation Crops in South Sulawesi, as well as stakeholders, including the South Sulawesi Food Industry Standards Agency (BSIP). Acting Director of Plantation Product Downstreaming, Yanuar Arianto, expressed appreciation for the participation of farmers and local government support in this program.
According to Yanuar, the intercropping program utilizes plantation land that is either currently underutilized or not yet productive, such as palm oil plantations under two years old, coconut plantations, and other similar lands.
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Citing the Directorate General of Plantations on Monday (20/01/2025), this initiative is expected to significantly expand Paddy Rice planting areas, particularly in Wajo Regency. It aligns with the directive of Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman, who targets a national increase in Paddy Rice production, aiming for 600,000 tons of rice from 920,000 hectares of intercropped land.
Planting Paddy Rice on plantation land is a strategic step toward ensuring future food security, optimizing land use, and strengthening farmers’ contributions to government programs aimed at achieving food self-sufficiency. (P2)
