Kalla says research could improve South Sulawesi production levels

Muhammad Abbas , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 04/29/2008 12:39 PM | The Archipelago

Vice President Jusuf Kalla asked South Sulawesi regents and newly sworn in governor Sahrul Yasin Limpo to improve cooperation with universities and centers for seedling research and studies in an effort to improve the province's agricultural production.

"South Sulawesi is known as a rice belt in the Celebes land and is a supplier of agricultural products to the country's eastern region," he said at a paddy, launching the planting season in Bungoro subdistrict, Pangkajene regency Saturday.

"We have to improve our performance and productivity in the agriculture sector to maintain food security in the region," he said.

Kalla was on a two-day visit to his home province to visit development project sites, including farmlands and the state-owned cement factory PT Tonasa in Baros. The visit was made just days after the government raised the rice price by ten percent to Rp 4,300 (45 US cents) per kilogram.

In their visit to the Center for Seedling Serelia in Maros regency, the Vice President and Minister of Agriculture Anton Apriantono asked the center's head M. Yasin to introduce the hybrid rice, of which 12 tons could be produced per hectare. They were also shown corn and plant varieties which are expected to bring more income to farmers.

"Farmers are likely to shift to other plants, such as palm oil and cocoa, if they do not benefit from paddy and corn farming," he said.

He said the governor and regents in the province should enhance consultation with the Hasanuddin University, the Bogor Institute of Agriculture and other private institutions to develop superior seedlings and help improve farmers' social welfare.

Maros regent Andi Nadjamuddin said the rice price hikes were expected to improve the income of local farmers who were harvesting their crops in hope of selling their products directly to the local National Logistics Agency (Bulog), as opposed to speculators and traders from Makassar.

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