Suswono Pastikan Bencana Alam Belum Ancam Ketahanan Pangan Nasional
Indonesian Agriculture Minister Ensure Natural Disasters Not Threaten National Food Resilience
Reporter : Gusmiati Waris
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
Jakarta (B2B) - Menteri Pertanian Suswono mengatakan bahwa bencana alam di beberapa daerah di Tanah Air, hingga saat ini belum mengganggu ketahanan pangan secara nasional.
"Berdasarkan laporan yang kami terima, termasuk bencana erupsi Gunung Sinabung, dampak terhadap ketahanan pangan relatif masih kecil. Bahkan dari sisi persentasenya juga kecil, karena tanaman padi puso tidak lebih dari 40.000 hektare," ujarnya saat ditemui setelah rapat koordinasi dengan beberapa kabupaten di Pendopo Kabupaten Kudus, di Kudus, Selasa.
Luas tanaman padi secara nasional, kata dia, berkisar 13,5 juta hingga 14 juta hektare sehingga persentase tanaman padi puso masih tergolong kecil.
Meski demikian, dia mengingatkan semua daerah di Tanah Air untuk tetap waspada, mengingat curah hujan tinggi diprediksi masih berlangsung hingga pertengahan Februari 2014.
Dengan demikian, kata dia, kemungkinan terjadi bencana banjir masih bisa terjadi kembali.
Areal tanaman padi puso di sejumlah daerah, termasuk di daerah sentra pangan, seperti Kabupaten Kudus, Pati, Demak, Jepara, dan Grobogan, akan segera mendapatkan bantuan benih tanaman padi.
"Kami harapkan, mereka segera melakukan penanaman kembali setelah banjir di daerah setempat reda tanpa ada jeda," ujarnya.
Pada kesempatan tersebut, dia juga berharap agar tanaman padi yang hingga saat ini terendam banjir tidak rusak atau puso.
Ia mengatakan stok benih cadangan nasional padi mencapai 13.600 ton dan bisa ditanam di areal seluas 565.000 hektare, termasuk stok benih jagung dan kedelai.
"Setiap saat, cadangan benih nasional tersebut bisa didistribusikan kepada daerah yang membutuhkan, mengingat potensi banjir masih ada," ujarnya.
Pendistribusian benih bantuan benih tersebut, katanya, harus mempertimbangkan kesiapan daerah untuk kembali menanam tanaman padi yang rusak akibat bencana alam.
Selain dibantu benih tanaman padi, para petani yang tanaman padinya puso juga akan dibantu biaya pengolahan lahan Rp2,7 juta per hektare.
Terkait dengan rencana produksi padi nasional selama 2014, katanya, ditargetkan bisa tercapai 76 juta ton gabah kering giling (GKG).
"Dibanding tahun 2013 yang bisa mencapai 71,8 juta ton GKG, target tahun ini memang terjadi peningkatkan cukup signifikan," ujarnya.
Meski demikian, dia mengaku optimistis bisa mencapai target produksi pangan tersebut, mengingat sudah ada Rencana Aksi Bukittinggi.
Ia mengakui aksi Bukittinggi tersebut memang belum ada dukungan anggaran, karena masih menunggu pembahasan di Kementerian Perekonomian.
Apabila rencana aksi Bukittinggi dijalankan semua, dia optimistis potensi untuk mencapai target pangan 76 juta ton gabah bisa tercapai.
Jakarta (B2B) - National food resilience remained secure, despite the floods and landslides striking several parts of the country.
"Based on the reports, including the Mount Sinabung eruptions, the impact of the disasters on food resilience was still relatively small. Even in terms of percentage, the impact is still small, as harvest failures were recorded at no more than 40 thousand hectares of rice fields," Agriculture Minister Suswono said after attended a coordination meeting with several district officials here on Tuesday.
The total rice fields in the country are between 13.5 million and 14 million hectares, and taking this fact into consideration, the percentage of harvest failure is still small, he pointed out.
However, he called on the people of all regions to stay vigilant as heavy rainfall is still forecast until mid-February, and so, there is a high likelihood of floods.
Rice harvest failure has occurred in several districts including Kudus, Pati, Demak, Jepara, and Grobogan in Central Java.
The minister emphasized that the regions will be provided seed assistance, and so, he hoped that they can immediately begin planting the seeds once the floodwaters recede.
He was hopeful that the rice saplings, which are still submerged in flood waters, may not be damaged or totally destroyed.
He explained that the national stock of rice seeds reached 13.6 thousand tons, and they can be planted on 565 thousand hectares of paddy fields, while the stock of corn and soybean seeds is also available.
"We are in a position to distribute the seed stock to the regions in need," he claimed.
However, he advised that the distribution of the seeds will be done after checking the readiness of the regions.
Besides seeds, the farmers whose rice fields were destroyed will also be offered financial aid worth Rp2.7 million per hectare.
Regarding national rice production in 2014, the minister remarked that it is estimated to reach 76 million tons of dried unhulled rice.
"Compared to 2013s production recorded at 71.8 million tons, the current years target is significantly higher," he stated.
The minister was optimistic that the target will be achieved in line with the Bukittinggi Action Plan.
Although, no budget has been allocated until now, as it is still under discussion, the plan, if implemented, can meet the set target, he added.
