MARONGGE - Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman accompanied by Acting Regent of Sumedang Tuti Ruswati visited Marongge Village, Tomo District, Friday, April 5 2024 morning. The arrival of Minister of Agriculture Andi to check the Pumping and Land Cultivation program in Marongge Village.

On that occasion, the Minister of Agriculture saw firsthand the process of irrigating rice fields using a water pump, where the water is sucked directly from the Cilutung River.

"I saw earlier that the pump was running well irrigating the farmers' fields. God willing, in West Java we are ready to irrigate 300 thousand hectares," said Minister of Agriculture Andi.

It is said that the potential for rice fields in West Java is 343 thousand hectares. So if 300 thousand hectares can be irrigated, it will increase rice productivity by up to 200 percent, and the value will reach IDR 15 trillion.

"One pump can irrigate up to 100 hectares. You can imagine that if this Rp. 15 trillion is moved, there will be a multi-layer effect, the economy at the village level will move," he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Agriculture and Food Security Service (DPKP) of Sumedang Regency, Sajidin, said that on that occasion, Minister of Agriculture Andi visited 2 pumping points, for two farming communities in Marongge Village, namely Potan Gumilang covering 25 hectares of rice fields, and Poktan Tunas Harapan covering 26.7 hectares. .

"If there are a lot of proposals, the Minister of Agriculture even offers to immediately submit additional proposals, and we will follow up and hopefully they can be realized," he said.

One of the farmers in Marongge Village, Kasjan (72), admitted that he was helped by the Pumping and Land Cultivation program.

"Usually we can only plant twice a year, but now there is a bus pump, so we can use it three times a year, later we will use it during the dry season, because water is usually scarce," he added.

On that occasion the Minister of Agriculture also provided assistance amounting to IDR 7.06 billion consisting of rice seeds, corn seeds and a large combine harvester.

(SOURCE)