Prime Time for Planting IPB 3S Rice Variety for Demfarm Program at Karawang
As an agrarian country, the Indonesian agriculture should be developed properly. It is the reason why Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) actively promotes agricultural modernization by agricultural innovations, one of which is the IPB 3S Demfarm program. It is the modern agricultural education and mentoring program for group of farmers on choosing the suitable planting method such as rice seeding, planting and harvesting process.
The prime planting of Demfarm IPB 3S rice variety was on Friday, 10 July 2015, at Telagasari village, District of Cilamaya Wetan, Karawang regency, West Java, using a planting machine (transplanter). The special event was officially opened by Rector of IPB, Prof. Dr. Herry Suhardiyanto. In his remarks rector stated the importance of agricultural modernization. "We must pay attention to the development of agriculture. Our population size is getting higher and higher, if we do not well-prepared, we will import the necessary foods to feed us, in fact we are able to produce to feed them. This is the reasons why IPB continues to oversee the agricultural innovations, "said the rector.
Rector invited farmers to work hands in hands to cultivate their lands, "It is important to design the optimum production of the areas. Consolidation among farmers will be very important, smallholder farming will make high-yielding if they cooperate together. Later on farmers will be trained to do their play their roles and functions properly. Using the power of cooperative development work we will be able developing the optimum land by utilizing the formulations and methods according to the agricultural blueprint we designed".
In Demfarm IPB 3S rice variety program, farmers are taught how to sow the direct seeding of 3S IPB rice variety, utilizing transplanter for rice planting, planting management, and harvesting process using rice harvester. The team leader of Demfarm IPB 3S Rice Variety Program, Dr. Sugiyanta, explained the excellence 3S IPB rice variety, "Demfarm Program for IPB 3S Rice Variety is developed to facilitate the rice self-sufficiency. As IPB has invented a new rice variety, and it will be cultivated on this project. The new variety is expected to produce 11.2 tonnes per hectare. One goal of this program is to increase crop yields by half a ton to one ton per hectare ".
Farmers were delighted to have such program, as stated by Debi, one of the farmers who cultivated IPB 3S rice variety in his field, "The introduction of innovation and technology for agriculture will facilitate the cultivation process for farmers. Planting and harvesting process will be more efficient, so their agricultural products will increase ".
This event was attended among others by the Officer in Charge for Commitment of the Ministry of Agriculture, Drs.H. Moch Ali Nurdin, MM; the Head of Agricultural, Forestry, Plantation Services and Farm of Karawang Regency, Ir.Kadarisman, MM; Vice Rector for Infrastructure and Business of IPB, Dr. Arif Imam Suroso; Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture of IPB Dr. Ernan Rustiadi; Chairman of the Departments under the Faculty of Agriculture, as well as the Chairman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Faculty of Agricultural Technology and Biosystems of IPB. (Wied)
