Kupastuntas.co, Lampung English - The Provincial Government of Lampung is preparing 110 thousand hectares of paddy land which will be used to maintain food security in the face of El Nino which will cause drought.

Head of the Lampung Province Food Crops and Horticulture Service Office, Bani Ispriyanto, said the land was prepared after the Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo, made Lampung one of the national food buffers.

"We have prepared 110 thousand hectares, of which 74 thousand hectares have been partially planted in June when there was rain and 36 thousand hectares we have prepared for the national rice planting movement in anticipation of El Nino," said Bani, when questioned, Friday 4 August 2023.

He said the land area of 74 thousand hectares is spread over 15 regencies/cities. Meanwhile, the 36 thousand hectares are spread over 6 regions, namely East Lampung, South Lampung, Central Lampung, Tanggamus, Tulang Bawang and Way Kanan Regencies.

"Currently, what is clear is that the land has been prepared, now we are looking for coordinate points and that is what we will later propose to the Ministry of Agriculture. For seeds, these will be drought-resistant varieties, namely early maturing and those that have been used by the Inpari 32 community," he continued.

According to Bani, Lampung Province still has a surplus of 800 thousand tons and this amount is still sufficient until the end of next year.

"Rice reserves in Lampung itself are a surplus until the end of the year. The amount is around 800 thousand tons. If we produce ourselves, our target is 3.2 million tons," he concluded. (*)

KUPAS TV Video: Garbage Wastewater Flows into Settlements, Contaminates Gardens and Wells