Central Lombok - Deputy Minister of Agriculture (Wamentan), Sudaryono, invited farmers in West Nusa Tenggara Province (NTB) to maximise the rice planting season in early 2025.
This was done by utilising various assistance that the government has distributed to increase national agricultural production.
Sudaryono, or who is familiarly called Mas Dar, said that the government has distributed various assistance programmes, including subsidised fertiliser, the volume of which has increased to 9.5 million tonnes in 2025. In addition, there are also superior seeds, agricultural tools and machinery, and irrigation normalisation.
‘We are doing everything well, including fertiliser, seeds, and water, we have everything available. Now we are just waiting for the farmers to work wholeheartedly,’ he said when attending the inaugural rice planting event for the Gamagora 7 superior variety in Pengembur Village, Pajut District, Central Lombok Regency, NTB, on Monday (6/1/2025).
In addition, Sudaryono also emphasised the importance of improving irrigation infrastructure in an effort to meet farmers' water needs, which is part of the national programme to achieve food self-sufficiency.
Sudaryono added that the budget for irrigation had been allocated and hoped that the irrigation problem could be properly resolved.
‘So the irrigation issue has actually been resolved. But the most important thing is that during the main harvest, the purchase price from farmers must be good,’ he said.
Sudaryono also revealed that the set reference price for unhusked rice must reach Rp. 6,500 according to the results of the Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs meeting. As for the stated selling price (HPP) of corn, it reaches Rp. 5,500 per kilogram.
Sudaryono emphasised that this decision was part of the government's commitment to helping farmers and boosting their enthusiasm for food production.
‘That was the President's promise. Therefore, the HPP for unhulled rice has been revised from IDR 6,000 to IDR 6,500. The HPP for corn, Mr Minister, has been raised from IDR 5,000 to IDR 5,500. Hopefully this will boost the enthusiasm of farmers in increasing production,’ he said.
Meanwhile, the General Chair of the National Leadership Council of the Indonesian Farmers Association (HKTI), Fadli Zon, expressed his appreciation for the steps taken by the Ministry of Agriculture.
According to him, programmes such as the provision of fertilisers, seeds, and the distribution of agricultural machinery are a form of the government's commitment to improving the welfare of farmers.
‘This is our struggle for years to raise the price of grain, and we appreciate this step by the government,’ he said.
On this occasion, Sudaryono also launched a massive planting of Gamagora 7 superior rice varieties, the result of research by the Faculty of Agriculture at Gadjah Mada University (UGM).
This variety is estimated to be able to produce 12 tonnes of dry grain per hectare and has been successfully planted in various regions of Indonesia, including Yogyakarta, Central Java, East Java, West Java, Bali, and NTB.
With the various supports and facilities provided by the government, it is hoped that farmers can maximise their production potential, while contributing to an increase in national food security.