Jayapura Sets Rice Production Target At 3.6 Tons/Hectare

JAYAPURA SETS RICE PRODUCTION TARGET AT 3.6 TONNES PER HECTARE Kategori: Economic News (ECO) 16:01 Senin, 21 Januari 2013 Jayapura, Jan 21 (ANTARA) - The Department of Agriculture Jayapura has targeted to produce 3.6 tons of rice per hectare this year. Agriculture Department Jayapura head Jean H Rollo said here on Monday that the rice production target for 2013 had increased slightly compared with last year�s 3.4 tons per hectare, with a total of some 500 hectares of farmland under rice cultivation. "We are optimistic about not only meeting but also exceeding the rice production target for 2013," he stated. �The production target was increased this year in light of the increased average productivity in Jayapura, which has reached 2-3 tonnes of rice per hectare,� Rollo explained. He noted that Jayapura had approximately 600 hectares of agricultural land, concentrated in Muara Tami, of which 70 percent were paddy fields. Rollo stated that the government was planning to issue a regulation under Law No. 41/2009 on protection and sustainability of croplands. "We hope the regulation will help increase rice production every year," he said. In its efforts to increase food production in the region, the Jayapura government would assist farmers � through counselling sessions � in optimising their land productivity. "We will also develop the irrigation facility in Muara Tami in such a way that high rainfall does not affect the crops," Rollo said. He also urged farmers to use agricultural technology to increase rice production. �We must use the right kind of fertilizers and in right amount,� he added.