OKU Timur, The Indonesia Post – Farmers in South Sumatra have made it easier for them to increase their agricultural productivity.
Farmers Cards issued by the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) RI in collaboration with BNI provide convenience in transactions such as purchasing subsidized fertilizers.
South Sumatra Governor H. Herman Deru on the sidelines of the rice harvest in the village of Ringin Sari, Belitang III District, East OKU Regency, Sunday (27/9) said that South Sumatra farmers would benefit a lot from the existence of this farmer card. Even though it is in the middle of rice fields, banking transactions can still be done.
“This is called a farming card issued by the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with BNI and the South Sumatra Provincial Government. Although in the middle of rice fields, farmers can still make transactions,” he said.
He said that the Farmer Card is a means of access to integrated banking services (savings, transactions, loan distribution), which also functions as a subsidized card / wallet. Farmers’ cards are needed by farmers to help their agricultural production for rice and corn commodities.
“I ask that the Farmers Card which is distributed to each farmer can be confirmed for its validity and safety,” hoped Deru while mentioning, the Farmers Card also functions as a farmer’s identity, a means of saving, and one of the conditions for obtaining a People’s Business Credit (KUR) loan for financing. agriculture.
Furthermore, he invited farmers in South Sumatra to be proud of their profession. This includes a profession as a farmer considering that most of the land is large agricultural land which should be appreciated and utilized properly.
Moreover, the agricultural sector has so far become the spirit of South Sumatra as a national food support area.
“From the beginning I did not get tired of saying, we should never feel inferior to admit that we are farmers. We must be proud of our profession as farmers, because the results of the efforts of farmers, in the form of food, will be fulfilled,” he added.
According to Herman Deru, as a mainstay of South Sumatra’s sector, this region must be able to contribute in preparing the availability of food reserves for consumption in the region and even wider as a provider of national food stock. Therefore, since serving as Regent of East OKU in the first period of 2005 to the current position as Governor of South Sumatra, he is very concerned with the progress of the agricultural sector.
“We just saw the harvest for the second planting as well as the beginning of the third planting season. We know that East OKU is the food barn of South Sumatra. This is also what I dreamed about when I served as East OKU, even production. So the East OKU had reached 1 million tons of grain. dry harvest in 2015, “he added.
As an expression of his family with the enthusiasm of the farmers in East OKU, in this working conjunction on Bumi Sebiduk Sehaluan, Governor Herman Deru distributed a number of agricultural equipment in the form of a power thresser and mobile corn sheller and superior rice seeds.
This is related to the spirit of the Ringin Sari village farmers who independently print new fields. HD admitted that he was proud and gave deep appreciation. Moreover, the East OKU has the potential to focus on the agricultural sector because it is supported by the largest technical irrigation channel in South Sumatra and even in Sumatra.
“We all have to be involved in supporting this, including the banking sector, we must contribute to the disbursement of Regional People’s Business Credit in the agricultural sector. And I am focusing on this funding,” he added, saying that in the near future there would be extension officers (PPL) in a number of areas. in South Sumatra.
“To support the advancement of the agricultural sector in South Sumatra, we will deploy 1000 PPL personnel to regencies / cities in South Sumatra to guide farmers,” he said.
Meanwhile, East OKU Regent Kholid Mawardi represented by East OKU Regional Secretary Jumadi said the rice agricultural extension program in East OKU was expected to increase the area of planting and increase rice production as a form of supporting the fulfillment of national food labor.
“In the area of Ringin Sari Village, 66 hectares of independent paddy fields are printed, consisting of paddy fields printed on a former rubber plantation area of 20 hectares and 46 hectares of fields transformed into rainfed rice fields that utilize water sources mainly drilled wells,” he said. (mhn/ril)
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