MARTAPURA, South Kalimantan: South Kalimantan remained ranked in the top 10 of the 33 provinces in Indonesia as a buffer to the national rice paddy production of more than two million tonnes, Antaranews reported.
“We should be grateful for still ranked top ten national buffer rice provinces with the support of paddy production of more than two million tonnes,” said South Kalimantan Governor Rudy Ariffin in Martapura on Wednesday.
He said this on the sidelines of the anniversary of the 64th Banjar District at Regent’s Office attended by officials, religious leaders, community leaders and other community representatives.
According to him, the success of South Kalimantan to increase rice production to exceed two million tons of can was due to main regional programmes and policies in expansion and increasing rice production.
“One of the big district contributors in South Kalimantan is Banjar District and is its paddy fields and rice productivity expansion could be further improved,” he said.
South Kalimantan Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded South Kalimantan rice production in 2013, at 2.031 million tonnes of husked rice (GKG), down 55 thousand tonnes (2.65 percent) than in 2012.
Meanwhile, South Kalimantan rice production in 2014 is expected to rise due to an increase in harvested area as much as 17,052 ha, and from 42.34 ku/ha productivity in 2013 to 42.86 ku/ha in 2014.