Bandung (ANTARA) - Regional Secretary (Sekda) of West Java Province, Herman Suryatman, requested that mapping of land and farmers as potential recipients and prospective locations (CPCL) for the water pump program for rainfed rice fields in West Java be completed by April 25 2024.

After completing the data collection, Herman said that the West Java Provincial Government would immediately submit the documents to the Ministry of Agriculture, which would distribute 5,000 pumps to irrigate 50,000 hectares of rain-fed rice fields in West Java.

"So in a meeting with the Regional Secretary last Friday (19/4), it was requested that by April 25 2024 the target for CPCL data collection would be complete and we would send it to the Ministry of Agriculture so that West Java could execute the water pump network program for 50,000 hectares or 5,000 pumps," said Herman Suryatman when confirmed in Bandung, Saturday.

Currently, said Herman, the mapping that has been submitted from districts and cities only covers 13,000 hectares or is only covered by around 1,300 pump units, where one pump can irrigate 10 hectares of rice fields.

"That's why next week we have to finish collecting data for 50,000 hectares. But we still have to be accountable, that's why the Prosecutor's Office, Polri and TNI are involved to make this pumping program a success," said Herman.

In this pumping program, initially the Ministry of Agriculture only provided 2,500 pumps for 25,000 hectares of rice fields. However, because the program was running well in West Java, the Ministry of Agriculture finally provided an additional 5,000 pumps.

"The Ministry of Agriculture has provided 2,500 pumps, then because the field is good the Ministry of Agriculture will add another 2,500 pumps for a total of 5,000 pumps for 50,000 hectares of rain-fed rice fields," he said.

With this pumping, Herman hopes that West Java's agricultural productivity will increase because farmers will be able to harvest twice a year.

"So far, the harvest is only once a year, with pumping, there are two harvests," said Herman.

(SOURCE)